Moving On
by Lanerose
Summary: Dreams of Past, Present, and Future Collide with Old Nightmares In a Twisted Tale of False Friendships and the Love that was Destined to Save Them All. This story is COMPLETE and has a SEQUEL.
1. And so it Begins (P)

**Prologue**

Usagi stared out of her bedroom window. The moon was waning thin, and not without good reason. For the first time since the night of her rebirth, there was to be a new moon on June 30th. Now only a week away, the moon had shifted down to only one fourth of its light being visible. It was to this fraction of moonlight that Usagi prayed for guidance.

'Mother.' She thought. 'I know you and father can hear me, just as I know that you are always with me. I need your guidance, and so I seek your answer. I feel something big is about to occur, but for some reason I do not feel as though I can share this with the other senshi. Please, help me to decide what I must do.'

She kept her gaze on the light, never breaking the connection. Usagi stretched as far as she could mentally, hoping for the answer. Unfortunately, as so many times before, it did not come. Often it seemed that whenever Usagi was not in mortal danger, her mother would not tell her important information about herself. Usa couldn't help but wonder why her past was being kept hidden from her. She sighed and went back to bed, carefully placing herself between Chibi-Usa and Luna.

'Tomorrow,' she thought as she fell asleep. 'tomorrow I'll find out. Maybe I can make Luna tell me. If not her, then central or my mother will. Someone is going to tell me the truth before not knowing makes me go crazy.'

_Usagi's Dream_

The corridor was long and lacked any defining characteristics. Everything seemed to be obscured by shadows, and nothing was clear, except herself and her long white dress. She was the princess of the long gone Moon Kingdom once again.

"Mother?" Serenity tentatively spoke aloud. "Are you here? Where am I?"

The silence echoed momentarily, before an answer at last returned to her.

"I am not your mother, or anyone else's for that matter. Nonetheless, I am here with you now. Tell me who you are or I will kill you." A shadow formed in front of her. Although Serenity could not discern who the person was, she felt it was someone she knew, or at least was connected to. She was about to speak when a third presence joined their gathering.

"Leave her alone. She has never been here before, and is most likely unsure of what to do, or think, or say. You must admit it confused both of us when we first arrived here." This voice was gentle, calm, and friendly. It was the voice of someone else who she knew and loved. She strove harder to make them visible, but their images remained foggy. The second voice spoke again. "Don't worry, I won't let him hurt you. He's always been a little trigger happy."

"Thank you." She said softly. In the darkness, her voice echoed with purity rarely heard, and seemed to create a soft light, as the glow of a candle or the last embers of a fire. It had a musical quality that twinkled in the dim hush. She wished to speak more to these two who stood before her, but before she could make another utterance, she was pulled away from them.

_Dimension SM_

Usagi woke with a start. She was quite surprised to discover that she was now soaking wet. Water clung like dew to every part of her face and upper body.

"Hey Usagi, will you get up now?" Chibi-Usa's voice teased her. Usagi sat up quickly and grabbed the little spore in an affectionate hug.

"So that's the way you wanna play, huh? Well then, I guess we'll just have to all share in the wet love." Usagi squeezed her close so that the wet fabric of her pajamas merged with the dry cloth of Chibi-Usa's, effectively making it sopping wet. She then set about tickling her future daughter mercilessly until her mother called for them to go down to breakfast.

_Dimension GW_

Heero and Quatre both jerked into a sudden state of awareness. The "perfect soldier" let his face show no emotion, but Quatre allowed some of what he felt to filter across his face. They turned to look at each other.

"Do you know who that was?" Heero asked in his usual monotone.

"No, but there was something so familiar about her. Something I just can't quite put my finger on." Quatre looked puzzled for a few moments, and then settled back to sleep. It seemed that he and Heero would no longer be allowed to enjoy their all-night-in-spite-of-resting-simultaneously planning sessions. Heero remained awake for a few moments longer, allowing himself a short time to think about the mysterious girl before returning to his own night's rest.


	2. In Dreams We Meet (1)

**Chapter 1**

_Dimension SM_

Thanks to Chibi-Usa's creativity in making her wake up, Usagi was actually was actually on her way to school on time. As she walked down the street, her usual carefree grin upon her face, Usagi allowed her thoughts to return to the dream she'd had the night before. Who were those two guys, anyway? And why in the Moon's name did she think she knew them? There was something so familiar about them…

"Usagi-chan! Where are you going? And why are you here so early?" Makoto was giving her a strange look. For her part, Usagi looked completely puzzled. Then she noticed she had just walked straight passed the school, without so much as pausing. She blushed.

"Oh! I'm sorry Mako-chan, I wasn't really paying attention to where I was going." She quickly doubled back and entered the schoolyard. Makoto was still giving her strange looks though.

"Is something bothering you Usa? You're never early." Makoto looked at her, carefully examining her facial expression. Usagi found that this concern bothered her in a way that it never had before. Usually it made her happy to just know that the senshi cared about her, but for some reason her one time of being early didn't seem to be a good enough cause for concern about her.

"I'm fine Makoto, really." She said, brushing by the senshi and heading into Crossroads. She sat quietly in her seat, barely responding when Ms. Haruna called her name. It seemed, however, that responding had been a bad idea. Ms. Haruna fainted dead away from shock, and classes were canceled for the day. Not knowing what else to do, Usagi headed for the Crown Arcade to talk to Motoki  
about her strange dream.

_Dimension GW_

Upon waking up the next morning, Heero and Quatre rose swiftly and looked at each other. They had returned to the dream world to continue planning for today's mission, and were now preparing to leave. Much to the disappointment of the two, the mysterious maiden at not reentered the dreaming that night. Although they had not spoken of her again, the silence spoke volumes as each sensed the others desire to see her again. Who was she and why could she affect them in this way?

"Heero!" Quatre called. "It's time to get going. Duo, Trowa, and Wufei will meet us there in two hours. We need to leave right away if we hope to be there in time."

"Hmph." Heero grunted and nodded his head in response before jumping into his Gundam to head for the OZ base they would be destroying that day.

_Dimension SM_

Usagi had not had a good day. First she had been forced awake early. Her teacher then proceeded to faint when she was on time to class for a change. Next, Motoki couldn't come up with a logical explanation for her dream either, although, thankfully, he had agreed not to tell the others. To make matters worse, there was a huge battle, and the monster had left a huge bruise on the side of Usagi's face that just wouldn't go away even after she detransformed. Hours later it finally disappeared, but not before Luna saw it and yelled at her to be more cautious. With Luna mad at her, there was no way for Usagi to force information out of her. To top it all off, Mamoru hadn't spoken to her all day and that damn dream just wouldn't leave her alone. No matter what else she was doing, a small corner of Usagi's mind refused to let it go.

'No.' Usagi reflected as she crawled in between her covers that night, 'today has definitely not been a good day.' She turned out the light and fell asleep, her previous night's conviction about forcing someone to tell her information she desired drifting away without a moment's thought.

_Dimension GW_

Upon successful completion of the mission, the five pilots returned to Quatre's mansion, where he and Heero had spent the last week or two. Naturally, the first order of business was to repair the Gundams. Then they ate. Finally, the five headed off to their rooms to catch some shut-eye.

All of this, mission included, occurred without a word from either Heero or Quatre about the mystery woman who had entered their dream. If any of the other three suspected something was up, they ignored it, for the topic was not brought up at all. Only when they had returned to the mist was anything voiced about the woman they both felt they had met before.

_The Realm of Dreaming_

Usagi spent a couple of hours exploring her dream. A dark mist covered the entire location, obscuring it from her view. Once again, she had become her former self, and the white gown swished around her ankles. Her bare feet padded softly down the hall, attempting to find where it led. However, the hallway lacked a beginning and an end. It seemed to stretch for all eternity. Something was on the walls, but the mist was so thick over whatever it was that Usagi was unable to discern it.

"Quatre, is that you over there?" Usagi gasped as someone else's voice invaded her dreams. The intrusion seemed almost natural, though, because his voice had been caught in her mind all day. It was the person who'd threatened her last night.

"I am not now, nor have I ever been, Quatre. Nonetheless, I am here with you now." Usagi turned his words back upon him. "Who are you?"

"It's you!" Another voice gasped in the darkness. "You're the girl who visited us here last night. How did you get here?"

She shrugged noncommittally. "I don't know. I just closed my eyes, fell asleep, and BAM - here I am. How about you two?"

"Pretty much the same story with us." Usagi could hear the lie in the boy's voice and decided to force an elaboration later. She strode forward slightly, curious as to whom these two people were, but the mist kept them separated. One of the boys was leaning against a conveniently placed pillar, glaring at her. The other was just standing there looking at her, his eyes wide. Even though the mist hid them, some mysterious force was allowing her to sense their emotions.

"Do you know where we are?" Usagi asked innocently. Her dress swirled around her ankles as a strange wind swept through the dark corridor.

"Who are you?" The glaring one replied in turn, answering her question with one of his own. Usagi didn't have a decent reason not to answer him with honesty, and so she did.

"My name is Usagi Tsukino." She said simply, then paused. "I know that the one of you who answered my question earlier is Quatre. I have told you who I am. Will you treat me with the same respect?"

"Heero Yuy." His voice was cold as he answered. "And my associate is Quatre Winners."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Miss Usagi." Quatre replied, again pondering how she arrived in the dream, but feeling it was rude not to answer her question. "We don't really know where we are. We have scoured this whole area, and found nothing. All we know is that while asleep we are here, and when we wake up again we are wherever we were when we fell asleep."

"The same is true for me. Have you met each other while awake?" Usagi asked, attempting to find out as much as she could about this strange place and the others who visited it with her.

"Yes." Was all Heero said. He glared at Quatre, alerting him to the fact that nothing was to be said about their mission. Meanwhile, Usagi  
was absorbing some facts. It seemed that they could see each other in spite of the mist, they could see each other. She had but a brief moment to ponder why before her body shook and she was once again pulled from the dream.

"Think we'll see her again?" Quatre asked Heero.

"Humph." Heero grunted in response, although for once his grunt had and affirmative quality to it.

_As Time Passes..._

Things continued on this way for most of the rest of the week. The Gundam boys went on missions, Usagi fought youmas. The boys were  
very rarely injured beyond simply having to repair their Gundams. Usagi, on the other hand, was often injured. The multiple battles were beginning to tear her physical being to shreds. A wedge seemed to be growing between herself and the senshi, driving them  
further and further apart. The mental pain that the fighting caused her was indescribable. Her only salvation came upon her entrance to the dreamland, where there was no pain. Each night she, Heero, and Quatre discussed their lives. It grew to the point where Usagi  
was more comfortable and companionable with the two men then they had ever been with just each other, in spite of their remarkably close relationship.

All the while, Usagi's sense that something was going to happen soon grew and grew, until finally, it did.


	3. Battle for Life (2)

**Chapter 2**

_Dimension SM_

On the morning of June 30th, Usagi calmly rose on time. Quatre had somehow managed to bring a clock into the realm of dreaming, and though it was set to his time, he had taught her to convert it into her own. Whatever the clock said, she was two hours ahead of it. She had not been late to school since she first entered the realm. Although Usagi was able to see the clock Quatre had brought, she still had yet to see either him or Heero. The mist continued to keep them separated, as though it was not their time yet to meet face to face.

On this particular morning, though, Usa was not worrying about the dream. The bruises from fighting the previous night were still visible against her pale skin, and her parents were sure to take note of them. Usagi often wondered whether her parents were deliberately blind to her late night venture, or if they were just flat out stupid. To make matters worse, the senshi had once again been overly worried that she might get hurt. Indeed, the bruises were not the youma's fault, but had actually been caused by Venus knocking her out of a blast's path as she prepared to dodge. The last week had been dreadful, filled with constant reminders that she needed to be more careful. Mamoru had said nothing in her defense, which was quite possibly the thing that hurt the most, Usagi reflected as she headed down the stairs.

"Good morning Usagi!" Her mother called as she entered the kitchen. "How are you this morning, sweetheart?"

"I'm fine mom, but where are Shingo and Papa?" Usagi asked, confused. They were usually home for breakfast.

"Don't worry dear, your father had to go into work early, and Shingo needed to return a book to the school library." Ikuko turned from the breakfast she was making to glance at her daughter. "I'm afraid none of us will be home this afternoon, but you can make dinner for yourself, right?"

"Of course mama." Usagi said, taking a slice of toast from the stack on the table, then picked up her lunch and books. As she headed for the door, she added, "I'm sorry, but I need to meet some of my friends before school. Love you, and I'll see you tonight. Bye!"

Neither of them could have predicted all that would occur on this fateful day, so it is not surprising that they did not say more.

_Dimension GW_

The boys were yet again plotting a mission. As they prepared to leave, Quatre turned to Heero.

"Something feels odd, doesn't it? I don't know why, but I think something is going to happen to Usagi today. There just seems to be an event ready to take place, of a magnitude such that it can be felt even here." Quatre shook his head. "I hope she's ok."

Heero grunted and turned away, heading for his Gundam and the battle.

_That Night, Dimension SM_

Usagi sighed as she headed towards her home that afternoon. While at school, a thought had struck her. If today was June 30th, that meant it was her birthday. At first she thought she was wrong, surely her friends or family would have at least said something if it were really her birthday. However, the agenda book she had purchased to keep her final exam information in did not lie. Usagi had finished testing today, and it had been scheduled to end on her birthday. It seemed that no one cared that she was another year older.

Suddenly, her communicator went off. Usagi looked down at her "watch" and Ami's face appeared.

"Usagi-chan, we need your help. A youma is attacking the Crown Arcade. Please get here as fast as possible, and remember to Be Careful!" she spoke quickly, and there was fear in her voice. "Please stay out of the fight until we've weakened the youma, okay? We don't want you getting hurt."

"I'll be fine Mercury. See you in a few moments." Usagi disconnected her communicator and quickly transformed. As Sailor Moon, she could run twice as fast as normal, and heaven knows Usagi was quite speedy herself. She arrived in record time, and immediately noted everyone's position. Mars was staggering around on what appeared to be a broken ankle, Jupiter had cuts up and down her arms, and Mercury was lying on the floor, unconscious but not severely injured. Venus was the only one as yet badly hurt, but there were scrapes all over her body. Tuxedo Kamen was no where to be seen.

Without her even thinking about it, Usagi ripped off her tiara and threw it at the monster. It grunted in pain and turned towards her. As it lunged for her, Usagi prepared to dodge when suddenly, Jupiter screamed.

"Princess, be careful!" Her concentration pulled from its task, Usagi did not manage to avoid it properly. The side of her fuku was ripped, and a long gash trailed down her side.

_Dimension GW_

Heero and Quatre were walking down the street from the hanger where the Gundams were currently being kept when they suddenly collapsed.

"Usagi!" They both called aloud as they fell. Trowa caught Quatre, and Duo stopped Heero's fall. Coming from both of their sides was a small amount of blood. When Trowa and Duo peeled back Quatre and Heero's shirts, identically angry red lines glared back at them. The blood was spilling slowly out of the center of the lines, where the marks seemed to glow a deep shade of crimson.

"Hey, what's goin on here?" Duo questioned aloud. "Where did these wounds come from all of a sudden?"

"I don't know." Trowa responded. He proceeded to pick up Quatre and carry him back towards the apartment that the five pilots were currently sharing. For lack of a better idea, Duo lifted up Heero and followed him.

_Dimension SM_

Usagi hit something on the ground with a sickening thud, yet even in her weakened condition, she knew she had to defeat the monster. Venus had trapped it in her love chain seconds after it ripped Usagi's side to ribbons, and so Usagi had a moment to catch her bearings before attacking it again. Usagi noticed that she had landed on Motoki, and that while he was unconscious, he appeared to be alive and in relatively good health. Rage coursed through her veins as she realized the evil being before her had drained his energy. She rose to her feet and her moon scepter appeared in her hand.

"Don't Sailor Moon! You're too weak right now!" Mars screamed at her. Venus unintentionally dropped her chain and the youma took the opportunity to fling itself at her. Venus screamed as its claws dug into her back. Usagi knew there was no other choice. She started the familiar energy release sequence once again.

"Moon… Scepter… ELIMINATION!" She screamed, releasing the attack. It impacted against the youma, who immediately dropped Venus. However, it did not die. Now suffering from exhaustion, Usagi collapsed to her knees as Venus hit the floor, unconscious.

A red rose cut through the air, landing in front of the youma.

_Dimension GW_

Trowa could not stop himself from gasping when while using the stethoscope he suddenly heard Heero's heart rate drop.

"What's wrong now?" Wufei asked calmly.

Duo shot him a look. "Don't you know how serious this is? If they die, we're down two Gundam pilots. Pilots who we NEED to defeat OZ."

Trowa had moved to examine Quatre, and could not keep his face from paling as the phenomenon was duplicated.

_Dimension SM_

"Now, Sailor Moon!" Tuxedo Mask yelled. "Defeat it!"

Usagi looked up at him for a moment. In his eyes, she saw every time he called her a meatball head, every occasion where he avoided the words she so often told him, I love you, saw how childish he thought her, and even more now than ever, she saw the times he refused to speak in her defense. Mamoru didn't care about her, and so she would not allow herself any regrets in leaving him behind. She willed the Silver Crystal to appear between her hands.

"Moon… Cosmic… POWER!" Usagi screamed, not allowing herself to think of the things that might have been. She poured the full  
force of her feelings into the tiny gem, and watched as the youma was destroyed. She then gave the crystal a command. Take away the memories of me that they carry. she thought even though they have misunderstood me, I will not leave them pain. The Silver Crystal heard and granted her wish even as her body disappeared from the physical realm, bringing one other person with her.


	4. Choices of the Heart (3)

**Chapter 3**

_Dimension GW_

Trowa shook his head and leaned back from the work he had been doing. Duo and Wufei looked at him with surprise in their eyes. It seemed almost like he was giving up.

"What's wrong Trowa? Why'd you stop helping them?" Duo asked curiously.

Trowa raised his face to his two fellow pilots and said, "There is nothing I can do for them now."

_Dimension SM_

The blinding light of the Silver Crystal gradually faded from the room, leaving four very confused senshi and a frazzled looking guy in a tuxedo and a mask.

"Where did the youma go?" Mars asked. She could have sworn it was here a moment ago.

"You mean you didn't destroy it?" Tuxedo Kamen asked. He looked lost. Venus was badly scratched, Mars's ankle was broken, Mercury was unconscious, and Jupiter had a horrible looking cut on her arm. The five detransformed and went to the hospital to seek medical attention. Hours later, they were still wondering how the youma suddenly disappeared.

_The Realm of Dreaming_

Usagi collapsed to the ground in tears the moment she arrived, wrapping her arms around herself. Her tears clung to her dress as dew to  
the morning grass, not penetrating its dry warmth. She sobbed and sobbed as though she would never cease, the emotional pain of leaving her life behind too much for her to handle. Her body jerked when she abruptly felt a hand touch her shoulder. Usagi turned and gasped.

"Motoki!" She exclaimed. "How did you…?"

"Shhhhhh," he murmured, hugging her close and letting her cry. "How I got here doesn't matter. Right now you need to let it all out. Go ahead and cry, I don't have anywhere I need to go."

She wrapped her arms around him and wept bitter tears over what she had lost. Motoki sat simply sat there and held her as she cried. Both were surprised when a voice spoke up from across the room, although it is safe to say Motoki was twice as scared as Usagi.

"Usagi-chan, are you all right?" Quatre walked slowly across the room. He had never seen her this way, and it scared him. She was usually so joyful, so light. Perhaps, though, the thing that surprised him most was that now he could see her. Long blond hair spilled out from two meatball-shaped buns atop her head. Usagi was wearing a pure white, ankle-length dress with gold rings at the bodice. Her face could only be described as that of an angel, and she had beautiful pale blue eyes, which were filled with tears. The rivers of tears flowing down her cheeks seemed somehow out of place.

"Quatre!" She gasped. Her eyes went wide as she realized the mist had disappeared. In front of her was the boy who's sweet, kind voice she had been listening to for the past week. Quatre had cerulean eyes and blond hair. He was very handsome, and had an Arabian quality to his clothing. She turned slightly and saw a gorgeous man with deep mahogany colored hair and deep Prussian eyes. She saw him and knew instinctively whom it was that stood before her. "Heero… What happened to the mist?"

Heero and Quatre exchanged looks and shrugged. Then Quatre spoke, concern in his voice. "It doesn't matter right now. What happened to you?"

"My friends… my fiancé… my life… I don't even know how I got here again. I thought once you died, you moved on." Usagi sniffled, renegade tears continuing to fight their way free of the confines of her eyes. "I was ready to go, I thought I was finally moving on in my existence, but I guess not. I'll wake up and be trapped in the same life I've always been forced into."

"Not necessarily." It was yet another new voice that filled the realm of dreaming, one unknown to all but Usagi. There stood her mother from the past, Queen Serenity of the Moon Kingdom.

"Mother!" Usagi yelled, and launched herself into her mother's arms without thinking. However, instead of falling through the image like she usually did, Usagi was caught in a strong embrace. "I've missed you so. Why wouldn't you tell me that this was to happen?"

"My darling daughter," the queen began, "I wanted nothing more than to confess everything to you, but your father and Pluto would not let me. Pluto said it was necessary that you reach this place and make a choice. First, though, you must be given all the facts."

"Pluto, mother? And what facts have I not been told?" Usagi looked inquisitively up at her mother. Meanwhile, the thus far forgotten and unmoving others finally regained motor and speech skills.

"You're Usagi's mother?" Heero asked, the cold edge omnipresent in his voice. Usagi was startled. He hadn't spoken like that since the first time she'd conversed with him in the dreaming. "Why are you here?"

"Why my dear Heero, you haven't changed at all!" Queen Serenity exclaimed to the surprise of the four. "I'm here for one reason really, and that is to assist my daughter in what will be the most difficult task of her life. Serenity, Pluto is another of the senshi, and the guardian of time. No matter what you choose, you will eventually meet her. As to what you do not know yet… Well, that is quite a long story. Come with me."

Queen Serenity turned and walked down the hall, and Heero, Quatre, Usagi, and Motoki followed her. As they walked, Usagi noticed how beautiful the realm was without the mist blanketing it. The windows were no longer fogged, and through them many sights could be seen.

One window showed a spiky haired man wearing an orange training suit and a blue… something with antennas. Another showed unicorns, a strange green girl, and a human much like themselves as well as a dog in human clothes and a guy in purple robes. Yet another showed two girls, one with brown hair pulled up in Usagi's meatball style, only shorter and with pink ribbon wrapped around them, the other with short blond hair. Both were wearing brown uniforms, and a man with turquoise hair in a braid was talking to them while they sat on the ground. In still another a crazy blond was watching a baby in a diaper dance. The next showed a man in a blue body suit with a yellow-backed, red S on the chest talking to a man in a black body suit with a picture of a bat on it. One showed three teenagers in black robes pointing what appeared to be wands at a creepy looking man with a big nose while two other men watched. So involved were the four in their surroundings that they almost did not notice Queen Serenity had stopped.

"Please sit down, and I will tell you all." She said, gesturing to a table with six chairs set around it. Something about it clicked in Usagi's mind, as though she ought to remember it. She was stunned when her mother interrupted her thoughts by saying, "You should know it."

"But from where?" Usagi could not hide her curiosity any longer. "Mother, please tell me what you've been hiding."

"Very well daughter. I suppose the best place to start would be with the story of our location. This is the astral realm, more commonly known as the realm of dreaming. This realm is the doorway to all other dimensions and worlds. It is a place that may be accessed only by a very small number of people. Those people have all been granted permission by the realm's ruler, Princess Serenity of the Moon Star Kingdom." She paused in her tale as Usagi and Motoki gasped.

"Who is this Princess Serenity?" Heero inquired, his voice flat and toneless.

"No, I didn't think you would remember. Princess Serenity is the name Usagi was called by in her past life. Do not worry, all will become clear shortly." Serenity took a deep breath before continuing. "Daughter, in your past life you granted access to this realm only to those closest to your heart. Not even the psychic senshi of Mars knew of this place. There were six people who had access to it, three males and three females. You came, naturally, and so did your beloved. The others were your older brother and your twin brother, and their soulmates."

"But mother, there are already three men here, and none of them are Prince Endymion!" Serenity protested. "Are you saying that one of these is my soulmate and the other two are my brothers?"

"That is precisely what I am saying, daughter."

"What?" The realm of dreaming echoed with the astonished shrieks of the four as the truth crashed into them. Quatre and Heero exchanged glances, as did Motoki and Usagi. It would certainly explain the pain the Gundam boys had experienced and why Motoki came with Usagi when she wished for them all to forget her. It is impossible to completely forget someone with whom you have a deep bond without losing a part of yourself large enough to drive you insane permanently, especially when previously wounded by something else.

"If you would allow me to continue…" The queen said patiently. They nodded. "Serenity, the senshi love you, but were led to act the way they did in the Silver Millennium. It was necessary, for if you chose a future in that realm, the senshi would grow to be more and more like their past selves. The process was sped up slightly, but only because this event had to take place either tonight or in another 16 years when the new moon once again arose on your birthday."

"What is taking place?" Usagi asked. She was quite confused by the whole thing.

"It is time for you to choose your fate. Most people do so indirectly, but the fate of all worlds, times, and spaces, lies in your hands, so there is an exception. Your choice involves these three and Mamoru. Only one of them is the person you were truly destined to be with, but you must choose to go with him willingly. If you choose correctly, you will gain your full power and become the Imperial Senshi, Sailor Serenity, former Princess Serenity of the Moon Star Kingdom, goddess Selene reincarnated as the goddess Artemis / Diana but with the memories, knowledge, and power of them all. Right now, your physical body, as well as that of Motoki, is existing on the Astral Plane. Make the correct choice, and you will all be brought physically to the dimension where you belong, to live together and happily. If you choose incorrectly, you and all here will forget tonight's events, and return to the lives you led before entering this place. It will once again be closed off until you are again reincarnated and willing and ready to receive your full power."

"Mother, how can you ask me to choose, not knowing what any of them were like previously? What if they change like the senshi did?" Usagi was frightened. How could all of this be in her hands? The three others remained silent, wondering what the queen would answer.

"Serenity, you will be allowed to discuss this with these three. Each of them must be given a label. One is your past flame, one your older brother, one your twin brother, and finally your one true love. You already know Mamoru well enough to decide from his words and actions, and the same goes for Motoki. Quatre and Heero have been meeting you in this realm that you might learn about them in this life, and decide." Queen Serenity stood up, walked over to Usagi, and embraced her. "I must go now. Choose wisely, my daughter. When you are sure of whom each is, call out their name and title using your formal, royal tones, and the weavers of fate and destiny will hear your commands and alter things in this life as you will it. Good luck."

The four sat in silence as the long dead Queen faded from the room. Usagi rose quietly to her feet.

"Usagi, no Serenity…" Motoki said. She turned to look at him "I love you, but the feelings I have are those for someone dear to my heart as a little sister."

"I agree completely. You've always been just like the big brother I never had in this life. I think that means you were probably my older brother in my last life too." Usagi smiled at him, then switched to a tone of voice she had not used since fighting Beryl. "Motoki is and will always be my older brother!"

The heavens nodded their approval by returning memories to the two. Usagi smiled as they flooded into her mind, showing her times when she came begging for advice, or teased him about the girl he liked this month when she was ten and he was fifteen. She laughed aloud at the sight of her pushing him into a pond, and grimly watched as her father sent him off to battle.

"Guess we were right." Motoki said. "Come here little sis and give me a hug!"

Usagi wrapped her arms around him and then turned to face two of the three still undecided. She stared deep into Quatre's eyes, and knew precisely what she felt for him. He nodded. Without another word passing between them, she opened her mouth once again.

"Quatre is one of the two men whom I was made to be with, my dearest twin brother, now and forever!" Again, memories filled her mind. Taking lessons, playing tag, tricking the guards, and ultimately, another sad memory. There was her mother, sending him to Earth for training. As the memories became permanent and real again, Usagi smiled at her brother. "Well, you do know that you're required to attend family reunions! Get over here, Quat!"

He ran to them and embraced his siblings, holding on tightly. Safe in their embrace, he felt a joy he had not known since his family's destruction in the war of the colonies. Tears slipped from his eyes.

"I do not know what I am to you." Heero said, to Usagi, his voice quiet but kind. "But I know what you are to me."

Usagi and Quatre gaped at him. Heero was never so open with his feelings. Then Usagi remembered. If she chose him and was correct, they could live together forever and be happy. If she chose him and was wrong, they would forget this had ever happened. Perhaps he was being honest, but did he really love her, and did she love him? Usagi searched her heart. Heero was still taking a chance. If she chose Mamoru and was right, he would remember forever that which he had lost. Usagi could remember times when he made her laugh,  
and how he always respected what she had to say. Mamoru could learn a thing or two from him. It was then that she realized the decision was already made, and perhaps had always been waiting for her to open her eyes to it.

"From this time until eternity, I make my decision." Her tones were clearly that of royalty, strong and sure. "Mamoru Endymion is nothing but a past flame. My heart always has and always will belong to my Heero."

A flash of blinding white light filled the room.


	5. Together Again (4)

Author's Notes: Hugs and chocolate to Lady Cosmos and Lady Crystal, who are hosting my fic on their website.

**Chapter 4**

_Dimension SM_

A blinding white light faded from Usagi's eyes, and she was suddenly standing in the arcade. It was totally wrecked, and Motoki was lying unconscious on the floor. She was in her senshi form, and so Usagi picked him up and brought him to the hospital. He was in a coma for two weeks before finally waking up.

Many years later, the senshi still wondered what had happened to their leader during that short time between the end of the battle and her reappearance, but they never questioned it. Iie, they were good little senshi, and they would never do something like that.

Endymion didn't care. She was back with him, and that was all that mattered. He and Usagi were eventually wed, ruled Crystal Tokyo, and had a daughter who they named Chibi-Usagi after her mother.

Usagi lived a long life, and died at the ripe old age of 100.

AN: If you think that's actually the ending I would write, or the one that you prefer, stop here. Otherwise, read the rest of the story and see what other crazy things I'll come up with. (In other words, JUST KIDDING!)

_Dimension GW_

"What'd ya mean, 'There's nothing you can do?' C'mon Trowa, we need them! You have to do something!" Duo was angry, and it was quite audible in his voice. Trowa's answer was much more composed.

"Duo, they are comatose. Neither I nor you can do anything aside from keeping them alive long enough for them to decide to wake up." Duo started towards him, when suddenly, a bright white light filled the room.

Gradually, the brightness faded from their eyes. Duo, Trowa, and Wufei gasped as two people appeared in the room. The first was a tall man with blonde hair and deep sapphire eyes. He was dressed in an elegant white suit with a faint glow to it. He was holding a yellow rose in front of his face, and petals danced around him. However, it was the woman standing next to the man who shocked them most.

Her face was extremely serene, though her eyes were closed. She was dressed in a glowing silver gown that glimmered as though made of dancing moonbeams. It had a tight bodice but flowed out to her ankles in layers of fabric. The spaghetti straps and low neckline accentuated the beautiful package that was her body. Her hair was as long as her dress and it shone silver from the meatballs it was tied up in. Clasped in her hands were three roses, one white, one yellow, and one a brilliant shade of scarlet. An air of grace and tranquillity flowed from her and filled the room. The three had only a moment to stare at her before she collapsed to the floor.

"Serenity!" The man screamed, dropping his rose and rushing to her, catching her just before she hit the ground. He quickly checked for a pulse and then began to speak to her in a quiet voice, his lips near her ear. "Renity, we just found you, you're not allowed to leave us yet! Wake up, please! You can't do this to me, Quat, and Heero as soon as we finally locate each other again."

"Who are you?" Wufei asked. "And why are you going all to pieces over that weak woman?"

"That woman is not weak." Quatre's voice was stronger than usual, commanding almost. His sudden speech drew the eyes of his fellow pilots, who were stunned by his appearance. Quatre's Arabian clothing had been transformed into a suit similar to that of the stranger,  
although his was purest silver, the cloth seeming to be the same as the woman. In his hand were a yellow and a white rose. "She is the strongest person in the universe, male or female, and you would do good to remember that."

"Quatre!" Duo announced. "Man, what happened to you? Trowa said you were comatose, whatever that means."

"First things first." Quatre told him. He moved over to where the woman, Serenity the stranger had called her, lay and started to talk to her as well. "Renity, Renity, you know what? If you wake up right now, I won't ever complain again about your hairstyle. I swear, not even as a random joke once in a while. Just please, please, wake up."

The stranger turned to face him. "Quatre, is there anything we can do for her?"

"I don't know Motoki, I really hope so. Trowa, would you get a wet cloth for her forehead please? Duo and Wufei, I'd really appreciate it if you'd keep an eye on Heero for a while." Quatre glanced up from his staring at the woman while the three were shocked into following his commands. "This shouldn't have happened. Mother said our dimensional move here would be instantaneous, why is it affecting them like this?"

"I wish I knew. Maybe it's just a reaction to their memories coming back. I'm certain you remember how deep the feelings went, how strong they were. If we hadn't already been unconscious, I'm not so sure we wouldn't have ended up just like this. Besides, real love is stronger than the love of siblings, and they definitely had a lot of memories to regain." Motoki smiled at his younger sibling. "It's great to see you again in real life, Quatre. Guess Renity chose right."

"Was there ever any doubt?" Quatre replied. "She always was the smartest of the three of us."

Trowa re-entered the room and handed the cloth to Quatre. Duo and Wufei, who had been shocked into submission, suddenly regained their voices. Wufei turned to finally look at Heero, as did Duo. Both of them gasped. Heero looked extremely handsome, and was now dressed in a pale gray suit with a white shirt. His right hand was entwined with a red rose. More shocking even then this was his face. It held an expression of genuine peace and happiness, something neither Duo nor Trowa had ever seen or expected to see there.

"Hey, Quatre, what's going on here?" Duo asked. "How did your clothes change, and what about Heero's? Do you know these two people? And you, mister, how'd you get here?"

"I'm sorry." The stranger apologized. "My name is Motoki, and this is my younger sister, Serenity. Quatre is Renity's twin. As to how we got here and the clothing change, that's a much longer story."

"We have time." Wufei stated. The three boys' already shocked expressions had grown even stranger when Motoki told them Quatre was a twin. All of their attention was completely focused on the three, and they were blatantly ignoring Heero, who not five minutes ago  
had been the center of their concerns. Quatre left the woman's side to watch over Heero, putting his faith in Motoki's abilities to take care of his sister.

"Quatre, what year is it here?" Motoki asked. Eyebrows were raised, but surprise kept the pilots quiet.

"It's after colony 196, so the Millennium was about two thousand years ago." Quatre responded simply.

"OK, then our story begins about two thousand five hundred years ago. A time of great peace filled all of outer space. It was named the Silver Millennium. During this peace, civilizations developed on all of the various planets, including the Moon of Earth. The Moon became a symbol of peace, and was the leading force in the creation of an alliance between the planets known as the Silver Alliance. As with most places, the Moon had a royal family, and the head of this family ruled over the Alliance and the Millennium. It came to pass that the royal families of the Sun and Moon merged through the marriage of Hyperion of the Sun and Serenity of the Moon." Motoki paused and took a deep breath, checking Serenity's pulse again. Quatre took over the telling of the tale.

"The kingdom that they created was known as the Moon-Star Kingdom, for at that time the Sun held dominion over all of the stars in the universe. Hyperion and Serenity were very happy with what had been created, as were the rest of the people. They had three children, the oldest was Motoki -" Quatre paused and glanced at his brother. "And they also had a set of twins, a daughter they named Serenity and a son they named Quatre."

"Wait a minute, wait a minute! Are you saying that you -" Duo pointed at Quatre "And these two -" he indicated Motoki and Serenity "are not only all related, but are the children of some long gone kingdom from a couple thousand years ago?" Quatre nodded. "Cool! But if that's true, how are you here?"

"Shut up for a minute weakling and maybe they'll tell you." Wufei said. The braided one snorted and leaned back against the wall.

"One day, a great evil called Metallia came. It slew the mighty Hyperion, and his son Motoki who was fighting bravely beside him. Then Metallia attacked the Moon Kingdom." Quatre's voice quivered as he recalled his father and brother's death, as well as his own. "Metallia was strong, and the attack was unexpected. Before Queen Serenity managed to lock away the evil with the magnificent power of her Silver Crystal, both twins, their protectors, their loves, and almost everyone on the Moon or any planet aside from Earth was destroyed. With the last of her strength, she sent all of those killed by Metallia into the future to be reborn."

"Something unexpected happened though." Motoki's voice cut in quietly. "For some unknown reason, the Crystal separated the people into two dimensions, to be forever separated until the day when she who was destined to rule over all dimensions, times, and spaces, was ready to accept herself, her powers, and her destiny. That time came only a few short hours ago, when Serenity accurately pulled together her feelings of her past life and this life, at long last reuniting all of us in the dimension we were intended to be born again in."

"That weak woman is destined to rule over us all!" Wufei interjected. "I don't believe it. She couldn't even handle the journey here without collapsing."

"You still haven't explained the changes to Heero." Trowa remarked quietly.

"Heero was the prince of Earth, and he and Serenity were in love during the Silver Millennium. He was visiting her on the Moon the day of the attack, and perished with us." None of the other three pilots could stop their jaws from dropping at Quatre's statement.

"Serenity…" A weak mumble from Heero's direction caught their attention.

_The Realm of Dreaming_

A bright white light flashed before their eyes, and Usagi felt a tremendous ripping sensation. She faded for a moment before reappearing in her astral form. Heero looked at her, and for a moment the mask of his eyes dropped, revealing tranquillity and joy. He walked over and held her in a tight embrace (hug) as the memories raced through their minds. There was so much to their history!

The first meeting… Serenity had been required to welcome all of the new delegates to the Moon, as they were all the future rulers of their planets. Even though Motoki was the oldest, the Silver Crystal always chose the oldest female to rule. From the moment the handsome boy with the Prussian eyes walked into the room, they both knew it was meant to be. He had given her the traditional courtesies, but had not smiled or shown any interest in her. Still, she somehow knew that he wasn't the type to do such things. The prince, Heero was his name, was not a very vocal person, and Serenity knew it.

The confession of feelings… Heero and Serenity had met in the garden to discuss plans for Earth's joining the Alliance. As they were strolling past the roses, Serenity had paused to enjoy their smell. When she had turned to offer him one, he had taken it, but did not let go of her hand. She had stared deep into his eyes, and an understanding had passed unspoken between them.

Faster and faster the images whirled before them, showing each and every time they had ever been together or apart. Serenity could now  
recall all of her lessons and instruction, and Heero finally understood what it was that had made him so quiet. His face actually held a sad  
expression as he recalled the painful memory, and Serenity nestled closer to him as it transcended her mind.

Finally, the memory they knew was coming arrived. Serenity and Heero were out in the garden. The day had been passed pleasantly talking, or in Heero's case sitting, with all of Serenity's guards and family. They had all been among the roses once again, picnicking. They had taken a group picture of Usagi and those closest to her heart holding roses. Motoki held a yellow rose, Quatre had both a yellow  
and a white rose, Heero grasped a red rose, and Serenity clutched one of each color. Afterwards, Heero and Serenity went out for a walk. They never came back. Beryl had attacked them first, but Heero dove in front of Serenity and saved her. He died in her arms, and she, in tremendous grief, had killed herself with the small dagger he constantly kept in the pocket of his jacket.

"You shouldn't have done that." Heero scolded her. "You should have just forgotten about me Serenity. Life is something that's cheap, especially my life."

She just held him tighter. "I could never have forgotten you. You're too important to me, always have been and always will be."

"Serenity…" his voice came out as a whisper. "You're the only person who's ever completely understood me. I'm glad you're back."

"My Heero…" Serenity sighed. "We should probably go back. They'll be worrying about us now."

Heero didn't answer aloud, merely closed his eyes and vanished back to where he had come from. Serenity shrugged softly, then giggled.

"Same old Heero." She said before winking out after him.

_Dimension GW_

"Serenity…" A weak mumble from Heero's direction caught their attention. He sat up swiftly and looked for her, but Quatre pushed him back down.

"Heero…" Serenity's beautiful cerulean eyes opened to find Motoki staring down at her. "You're not Heero."

"Renity, gods, you scared us! What happened?" Motoki looked at her urgently, but she was too busy looking around her new surroundings.

"Duo! Trowa! Wufei!" She said happily, and sprang to her feet in spite of Motoki's protesting arms trying to hold her down. As she ran and gave a hug to each one, she proclaimed, "I'm so happy you guys made it here too!"


	6. Memories (5)

**Chapter 5**

_Dimension GW_

"Duo! Trowa! Wufei!" She said happily, and sprang to her feet in spite of Motoki's protesting arms trying to hold her down. As she ran and gave a hug to each one, she proclaimed, "I'm so happy you guys made it here too!"

Heero glared at them as Usagi dished out hugs, but was pacified when he saw the completely bewildered expressions on their faces. His face returned to its perpetual mask, while the others looked all the more confused. He then glared at Quatre, who unwillingly removed his hand and allowed Heero to stand.

"Made it here too? Hey lady, I never met you before today!" Duo protested as she hugged him tightly. She drew back from him in surprise. Heero's face showed no expression, but his eyes flickered with curiousity. How could they not remember? Yet… the two glanced around. Motoki, Quatre, Wufei, and Trowa all seemed as lost as Duo. Serenity cleared her throat, and brought her hands together until a small object glimmered between them.

"Serenity!" Motoki made a face at her. "Don't you even think about using that Crystal right now. You're much to tired still from everything else that's happened."

"Honestly Motoki! You're going by only what I've done in this lifetime, and you forget the knowledge and control of my crystal that I just gained today." She shook her head. "Believe me, my control over the crystal is such that I can now pull energy from nature, and from those I'm using the crystal on. It prevents the draining of my energy, and only does harm to those I wish it to harm. All will be well."

Heero nodded. "She's telling you the truth. We've got most of our memories back, wouldn't you like to have yours? Serenity can give them to you without hurting herself, and both she and I would prefer sooner to later."

"I still don't like it…" Motoki made a face. "But I don't suppose I can stop you, can I Renity?"

"Nope, you can't." She smiled, than raised the Crystal over her head. "Crystal, give my friends back their memories!"

There was a flash of white light, and suddenly recognition filled the faces of the five men. Duo moved over to stand next to Serenity, hugging her again while ignoring Heero's glare. Wufei went quickly to Motoki's side, and the two men nodded at one another before smiling at each other and clapping one another on the back. Quatre and Trowa both smiled brightly, coming together and embracing in the tight hug of long lost friends.

"Renity, I can't believe I forgot you!" Duo exclaimed before releasing her. "You know, you two are the same as you were back then. You're still a bright, cheerful girl who for one reason or another that I don't understand has attached herself to that cold fish of a man over there. And you, Heero! I'd think that after finally getting her back, you'd at least smile!"

"Renity, is there any possibility of your commanding your bodyguard to leave me alone?" Heero asked flatly. The other four men exchanged glances. Now where had they seen this before…? Serenity giggled.

"Duo, you leave Prince Heero alone! You're well aware of his quiet tendencies, as well as the reasons behind them. I won't tolerate this kind of behavior." She smirked slightly. "Keep this up and I'll make you and Quatre trade places, and you and Trowa can guard each other."

Trowa shook his head, and Quatre laughed. Wufei and Motoki exchanged looks. Apparently some things would never change. Heero would always be reserved, Duo would always tease him, and Serenity would always find some way to make her body guard pay for it. Trowa and Wufei both mentally thanked heaven that Queen Serenity had given them the easier charges of Quatre and Motoki respectively to bodyguard.

"Hey, you guys?" Serenity said. "Do you have any other clothes I could wear? This dress is ridiculously heavy under Earth's gravity!"

"Silly Serenity. Why don't you just transform into something else?" Quatre asked, glowing slightly as his clothes faded back into their usual Arabian style. She giggled and nodded her head, and in yet another flash her clothing became a pale pink tank top and a tight pair of jean shorts. Heero's eyes roved over her body after he returned to his usual green tank and black shorts. Serenity walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him, holding him close.

"I've missed you so much! You don't know what I've had to go through in that other dimension. He was there, you know. He used some kind of magic so that I thought I loved him. Then he manipulated me into acting like a klutz and a total idiot." Serenity's voice was a soft whisper, and only Heero could hear her. "I can't believe I didn't see it! I was so blind."

Heero pulled her nearer still to him. "It wasn't your fault. Don't worry, he'll pay. I will never forgive him for what he's put us through, both in this life and the last."

"What's wrong?" Duo asked, interrupting the tender moment. Heero glared at him, and Serenity shook her head slightly. There had been so much pain in Heero's life, so many problems. Why couldn't they ever be alone long enough for her to help him? The goddess closed her eyes and let her memory flow swiftly back to similar times in the Silver Millennium, and to one of the few times Heero had been alone with her long enough to open up.

_Flashback_

Princess Serenity sat quietly among the flowers in her garden. She was supposed to be in lessons with the other princesses and her brother, but somehow she couldn't force herself to sit there quietly today. She pondered what Heero might be doing, as well as how long it would be before Duo found her. Naturally, he had no idea where she was. Giving him the slip was surprisingly easy, considering his background as a pocket picker. Duo was definitely not the brightest crayon in the box. She jumped when a hand touched her shoulder.

"Duo, please leave me be. I don't want to go back to lessons today." She murmured softly, staring at the ground. "Can't I just skip them for once?"

"Of course you can, Renity. And please, don't mix me up with that braided baka." Serenity spun around and wrapped her arms around Heero.

"I've missed you so much!" Serenity exclaimed. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at home trying to work things out with your brother? I'm so sorry I came between you."

"Serenity," Heero said, and he stared deep into her eyes. "We need to talk."

"Of course Heero. What is it?" Serenity felt fear as Heero took her hands and led her over to the small bench near the river in her garden. His usually composed face was somewhat tight, and his hard eyes had become soft and sad.

"Serenity, something terrible has happened. My brother has joined Metallia, and declared that he loves Beryl and will become King of Earth with her by his side. He then declared war against me, "his traitorous brother", and your kingdom." Heero looked down at their  
hands for a moment and did not lift his face as he continued. "Serenity, I don't think I'll ever see him again on our side. From now until eternity, he and I are enemies."

"But Heero, he can't do that, can he? Your parents said that they wanted our kingdoms united, and that the union had to be by marriage." Serenity had tears in her eyes. "It's because of me, isn't it? Because I chose to love you, to follow my heart, instead of choosing the "older, wiser brother." All this is my fault Heero. I can't tell you how sorry I am for all the pain I've brought to you and your family."

Heero grabbed her arm as she started to flee and pulled her close, gripping her face with his other hand so that she was forced to stare into his eyes. In that instant, the mask came off completely, and she could sense all that he wanted to say. Serenity now knew him, and Heero wasn't sure if he liked it, but he knew she had to be shown the truth. His history, his pain, his loss, and most of all his love were all a part of her. In scarcely moments their faces moved towards each other, and their lips came together in the sweetest of kisses, light and gentle.

In that sacred second, volumes were spoken. Their minds opened and united, binding them together in the most holy of vows. Serenity felt deep pain as she watched the murders of Queen Gaea and King Stephen from their younger son's viewpoint. Fate had been so  
cruel to her beloved. Heero was filled with comfort as Serenity showed him significant scenes in her life, most cast in the silver shades of the Silver Millennium's royalty. Her peaceful and loving nature filled him, calming the wounds of his soul and assuring him that he was right to trust her. He could feel her pain at the loss of her father and brother, and regretted the fact that his goddess had ever had to know such a terrible pain. Serenity would never intentionally do anything to hurt him. Heero swore a vow, in that moment, to protect her at all costs, and in return Serenity gave him her heart and life, for as long as he would allow her to remain with him. They were two of a kind, regardless of how different they seemed, and would not be broken apart. Slowly, they pulled apart.

"I love you, my Heero." Serenity said, cradling his head in her hands. "And from this moment on, we'll never be alone. I'll always be with you, and I'll always, always love you."

Heero struggled to make a reply, but just couldn't. His head told him he had to say something, but deep in his heart, Heero was sure she knew. Serenity brought his face near her own and leaned against him so that their foreheads and noses were perfectly aligned.

"You don't have to say anything." Her voice was as gentle and soft as her touch. It comforted him, and he smiled slightly before replacing his mask.

"He will be coming after you now. It is unlikely that we will be allowed any peace until either he and Metallia are dead, or you and I are." His voice held no emotion, but Serenity knew better than to trust her ears. He was hurt and upset by the betrayal of his older brother. For years their hatred for Metallia and drive for revenge had unified them. It was a terrible thing that the arrogant fool had allowed his desire for power to override his sense of honor and kindness.

"Don't worry Heero." Serenity said quietly. "I'll never let Endymion win. We will always be together, no matter what he tries to do. Always."

The Silver Millennium had been destroyed later that same day.

_Present Day_

"You know, I'm Really getting sick of these two always drifting off into space." Duo remarked. "Hello? This is Earth calling, is anyone there?"

"Shut up or I'll kill you Duo." Heero replied. Serenity giggled softly, and stepped sideways so that Heero's arms remained around her but she was able to see her friends. Motoki had changed into normal clothes while she and Heero were lost in thought, and was now wearing a pair of jeans and a white shirt.

"Princess Serenity, it is an honor to have you with us again." Wufei said, bowing. "But where are the senshi?"

"You never could wait to see her could you?" Serenity remarked, laughter running through her voice before it was stilled abruptly. "They are not here, nor will I be the one to bring them here. The senshi have chosen not to trust in me and follow me, and so I have taken their memories. They remember nothing, and will remain to protect their dimension."

The looks on the faces of the three bodyguards were priceless. Their eyes bulged and they stared at her. Heero held her tighter, his face remaining expressionless as he led her from the room, opening the door of the apartment only to step back when he saw at what was  
waiting there for them…

_Dimension SM_

"Luna, what are you talking about? Who is this Usagi you keep going on about?" Makoto's voice was extremely puzzled.

"She's the Princess of the Moon, the holder of the Imperium Silver Crystal, your leader, and the future ruler of this time!" Luna exclaimed, exasperated and upset. The senshi and Tuxedo Kamen were gathered to discuss the defeat of the youma earlier that day, and their guardian cats joined them.

"Luna, are you feeling all right?" Ami asked, concern evident in her voice. Luna and Artemis exchanged looks. Something was very, very wrong here. The princess's protectors were all acting strangely. How could they not know her name, and who she was after all the time they'd spent together?

"What could have happened to her to make them forget her?" He asked. "You don't think that she…"

"No, I won't believe that!" Luna yelled. "Serenity is stronger than that, and I refuse to believe that she's dead!"

"Honestly Luna, Artemis, what are you going on about? Minako is our leader, and she always has been!" Rei declared. The cats were beginning to annoy her.

"And who is Serenity?" Minako asked. "I thought we were talking about this Usagi person."

A flash of white light had filled the small room at Cherry Hill Temple. The eyes of four girls, one man, and two cats went wide with shock as memories flooded their minds. A beautiful woman with silver hair and sea blue eyes smiled at them in a welcoming way, greeting them. She giggled as they played games like tag or hide and go seek, or splashed around at the Neptunian beaches. Together they watched as she cradled a man with brown hair in her arms, apparently very sad, and were horrified as he stabbed herself to death with the man's dagger. Shots of the same girl, only with blond hair now, infiltrated their minds. They all simultaneously breathed out the name that had been so important to them for so long…

"Serenity…"


	7. Reunions and Tears (6)

**Chapter 6**

_Dimension GW_

The looks on the faces of the three bodyguards were priceless. Their eyes bulged and they stared at her. Heero held her tighter, his face remaining expressionless as he led her from the room, opening the door of the apartment only to step back when he saw at what was waiting there for them…

"Princess! You're here!" Heero was shoved aside as three girls hurried to hug Serenity. Even though they were all familiar, he couldn't stop himself from glaring at them. Serenity just laughed and wrapped her arms around them.

"What do you mean, I'M here? Why are YOU here?" Serenity asked as they swarmed around her. "Haruka, Michiru, Hotaru, I never thought I'd see you here! Let alone so soon!"

"Serenity, we live in the apartment next door." Michiru began. "We just got our memories"

"And were on our way to start searching for you. It was merely dumb luck that we found you right away." Haruka concluded.

"I'm so glad we did!" Hotaru exclaimed, hugging Serenity again. Serenity joyfully returned the hug, a bright smile painting her face. Now she knew where all of her senshi were, for as surely as she was Princess of the Moon, Setsuna was guarding the time gate. Even at crucial break points in time, although she called and gave a heads up, the Princess of Pluto was never permitted to stay long.

"Princes! I'm so glad to see you're all alive and well." Michiru remarked. Hotaru looked away from her princess momentarily, and her eyes locked with those of another person. Trowa. He was there. For so long she'd felt something was missing, and now it was in front of her again, the other half of her soul. Trowa walked towards her, and Hotaru responded in kind. They met halfway and embraced while the others looked on in happiness.

"Our little girl has finally grown up, ne Haruka?" Michiru remarked, taking her lover's hand. Haruka placed her arm around Michiru's shoulders.

"Yes, she certainly has." Haruka replied simply. Heero took advantage of the temporary distraction to grab Serenity's hand. She looked  
at him in surprise, and he gestured towards the door. A grin on her face, she followed him and the two slipped unnoticed out the door.

_Dimension SM_

A flash of white light had filled the small room at Cherry Hill Temple. The eyes of four girls, one man, and two cats went wide with shock as memories flooded their minds. They all simultaneously breathed out the name that had been so important to them for so long…

"Serenity…" The name hung in the air for a moment, and all was quiet for that second. It lasted but a second as Rei crumpled to the ground in tears. Minako, Makoto, and Ami quickly followed suit. Mamoru merely stood there, a shocked expression on his face. Artemis and Luna sprang back into action.

"What happened? Where is Usagi?" Luna demanded of them. Minako and Ami had wrapped their arms around each other and were sobbing into their shoulders. Luna could feel herself growing more and more afraid by the moment. This wasn't a good sign. The urgency in her voice increased as she asked again, "What happened?"

"Usagi… She… She…" Minako could manage no more than that. Luna all but stopped breathing. The senshi had temporarily forgotten their leader, and now they were hysterical. There was only one reason she could think of for such a phenomenon.

"She used the Crystal, didn't she?" Artemis asked. His face was filled with worry, and it was obvious that he dreaded the answer. Rei managed a slight nod of her head, and the cats exchanged glances. "Is she all right? Think now! You must have seen something after Usagi used it!"

The room remained silent. Luna trembled all over, and Artemis walked closer to her, using his shoulder to keep her standing.

"Tell me this is just a joke! You can stop now!" Luna exclaimed. When there was still no response, she realized the truth. As it smashed into her, waves of grief covered her body and she found her legs could no longer hold her.

"That fool-hardy, silly, clumsy, brave, wonderful girl!" Luna exclaimed. "It's all my fault. I should have trained her better, prepared her for  
desperate situations. If only she'd learned how to control the Crystal properly this wouldn't have happened! I shouldn't have waited so long to teach her."

"Luna, it's not your fault…" Artemis began, tears in his eyes.

"What do you mean it's not my fault Artemis? It's entirely my fault! If only I had trusted her to listen to me and learn all about her powers, she would have been fine! None of this should have happened, Artemis. For heavens sakes, she's a GODDESS! An immortal!" Luna yelled to whoever cared to hear.

"But I thought goddesses couldn't die…" Makoto sniffled, allowing her voice to trail off. The first person to ever accept the fight in her nature was gone now. Dearly though she loved the other senshi, not one of them knew her as deeply as Usagi did.

"Usually they can't." Ami said through her tears. Her excuse to go out and have fun was gone, all that remained for her now was books, for that was all the other senshi knew she liked. Usagi had always looked past that to her real self, the self that yearned for friends, fun, and love. "She chose to give her life in exchange for the power to save ours. All immortals have that choice. I just don't understand why she gave up! Surely if we had all fought together we could have defeated it!"

"There's nothing we can do!" Rei screamed suddenly. "Don't you see? I know I teased her more than anyone else, but I always, always cared about her! She was my best friend! Now, our best friend is gone and all the wishing, and regret, and blame placing won't do us  
anything! She's gone and this time she won't be able to come back!"

"Rei…" Makoto sobbed, dragging herself over to hug her fiery friend. Rei cried into her shoulder, tears falling everywhere. Minako, meanwhile, could still remember the first person to not think she was pretentious, wearing a red bow like Sailor V. Now who would she drool over Motoki with? That was when it hit her.

"You guys!" Minako said through her tears. "Where's Motoki? He was there too, remember? I don't recall seeing him after Usagi saved us! Do you?"

The jaws of the other senshi hit the floor at this suggestion. It couldn't be, could it? No, they couldn't have lost two of their closest friends in one day. It just didn't seem possible, didn't seem fair. They cried harder as they realized what must have happened.

Most of the rest of the day was spent this way, the senshi and cats alternately weeping and reminiscing about the wonderful girl who had been their princess. Mamoru had somehow slipped away without being seen. When they finally realized he was gone, Rei and Makoto  
volunteered to go find and protect him. They would not lose anyone else they cared about that day. Minako and Ami stayed at the temple and after hours of waiting finally dropped off into an uneasy sleep…

_Dimension GW_

The apartment of the Gundam boys was definitely becoming more crowded by the minute. First those two "strangers" who turned out to be their prince and princess, and now three old friends, one of whom was Trowa's girlfriend. Hotaru and Trowa now sat on the couch, not saying a word. They remained content to be merely sitting side by side, their hands entwined.

"Hey, aren't we missing something?" Duo asked suddenly, a triumphant smile blazing as he figured out what it was. The others merely looked at him in confusion. What could possibly be missing? "You know, those two people. Pretty girl with silver hair, annoyingly silent guy with dark brown hair? Looks like Heero may finally get some action."

Quatre looked mildly appalled and a blush came over his cheeks. Regardless of how long he spent in Duo's company, the language he used would always seem a touch… colorful.

"Serenity!" Haruka and Michiru yelled simultaneously. "Where are you?"

They began to comb over the apartment, the others joining in the hunt. As continued searching (and apartment wrecking) turned up nothing, expression became worried.

"Where the hell could they have gone?" Motoki wondered aloud. "This just isn't like her!"

"Actually it is, but you'd think that after what happened last time they would have stopped doing this kind of thing!" Quatre remarked sadly.

"What happened last time?" Hotaru asked innocently. Serenity and Heero had always been able to take care of themselves. Odds are they were fine, why was everyone panicking?

"The last time the Prince and Princess decided to go off unprotected" Wufei replied, "the Silver Millennium's end began where they were. They died unprotected in each other's arms mere minutes away from help."

The senshi of silence showed her name proudly as not a word came from her. Something about this felt wrong.

"The winds are worried." Haruka remarked.

"And the seas are foaming." Michiru stated. This was bad. Very bad.

_A Park Nearby_

Serenity laughed and spun in a circle, her hair flowing out around her as she released her distinctive hairstyle. Heero merely stared at his princess, enjoying her delightful dance. After a few moments she came and sat beside him.

"This was a great idea Heero!" Serenity exclaimed. "I almost forgot how little time we used to have alone. I suppose this is our last chance for a day of freedom."

Heero smiled slightly, but didn't say anything. A slight frown came over Serenity's the face.

"What happened to you, Heero? Earlier, Duo seemed to indicate you'd been this quiet throughout this life as well. I can still remember the happy, friendly boy you were the first time I met you. What happened here?" Serenity's voice was quiet and kind, softly begging her love to tell her the truth. He sighed.

"You wouldn't understand." Heero told her simply. Serenity gave him a glare that rivaled his own. She was only a goddess after all, naturally she would be unable to comprehend the workings of his life. Heero's eyes rolled softly and he pulled her close. "Promise me you'll love me forever?"

"I promise Heero." Serenity replied honestly. No matter what Heero had done, surely it could not be anything so terrible that she wouldn't love him still. "Always and forever, my heart belongs to you. You know that."

"Very well then." Heero took a deep breath, then kissed her. Images flooded her mind, and she could hear Heero narrating what had happened by thought. "I wasn't always so quiet in this life. I actually did become that happy boy you remember from so long ago, at least for a little while. Then I met Diana. She was pretty, she was sweet, and most of all she loved me. Now that I think back on it, she reminds me of you. I was forced to stand there helplessly as she and her closest friends were destroyed to save my life. They were in a horrible sword battle, and I was doing the best I could to help. All of the friends traded their lives for victory, but Diana survived hers  
without dying. I wasn't so lucky. My opponent was stronger than I, and he was about to deliver a death blow when Diana jumped in front of me and stabbed him, getting wounded herself in the process. I promised her I would protect the peace she had just created, and a few moments later she died in my arms. After that, it just hurt to much to let people into my heart again."

Serenity stared at him for a moment before shrugging off his embrace. Her eyes pierced his, and he tried to make her see how his love was still only hers. He would always care about her most of all, but Diana had also been special to him.

"You loved her." Serenity said softly, pain in her voice. Heero winced slightly and after a moment's thought nodded his head. Serenity stared at him for a moment. "You promised me you'd always love me, and only me, then you fell in love with the first person who seemed to understand you even a little. It took magical lies to turn me from you, but all it took to turn you from me was another pretty face. I don't know you any more."

"Serenity, it isn't like that." Heero said softly, but Serenity wasn't paying attention to him anymore.

"I trusted you." She said. "I loved you. Now I don't know what to think anymore."

Heero watched, the mask again on his face, as Serenity's eyes closed and she fell into a deep sleep. He knew where she was headed, the land of dreams. Where else would the Astral Princess go? He started to follow, and gasped when he realized that he couldn't fall asleep.


	8. Problems and Pain (7)

**Chapter 7**

_Dimension GW_

Heero watched, the mask again on his face, as Serenity's eyes closed and she fell into a deep sleep. He knew where she was headed, the land of dreams. Where else would the Astral Princess go? He started to follow, and gasped when he realized that he couldn't fall asleep.

"Serenity…" he whispered. Thoughts were whirling through his head. How could she have blocked him from the realm? Well how was obvious, and so was why actually. He'd known she would be upset, but he hadn't expected this. Without another thought he picked her up and ran as fast as he could back to the apartment.

_The Realm of Dreaming / Astral Plane_

"Heero…" Serenity murmured. Her eyes filled with tears. He had betrayed her love. Gone into the arms of another willingly. All of the time they had spent together, everything they had sacrificed for one another, the love they'd shared - it had all meant nothing to him. After entering she immediately blocked off the window to Dimension GW. He had destroyed her chance at a normal life with the one she loved there. No one loved her, so it would be best if she remained alone forever in her realm of dreams, where everything bent to her will.

Serenity collapsed to the floor, wrapping her arms around herself as she cried unceasingly. The dimension she would have made her home now would only give her the pain of an unfaithful love. All memories of her had been erased from the dimension she was born to, and so she dared not return there. All that was left for her was heartache.

"Usagi-chan?" A hesitant voice questioned. "Is that you?"

Ami and Minako stepped into view.

_Dimension SM_

Rei and Makoto were completely exhausted from their search. All day they had been looking around for some sign of Mamoru, but he was no where to be found. It wasn't that they didn't trust the prince, it was simply that without his princess, he would be very likely to go do something drastic. He might even resort to (and they prayed it wouldn't happen) suicide to escape the harsh reality of his life.

"Where could he have gone?" Makoto yelled to the winds, frustration in her voice. They were on their way to check his apartment one last time before turning in for the night. A huge storm was raining down on Tokyo, and the longer Mamoru was out the greater the chance became that he was sick, or injured, or… Makoto wouldn't let herself think it.

"I don't know." Rei sighed, and tears filled her eyes. "Usagi would be so scared if she was here right now. She always hated lightning."

Makoto slowly released a deep breath. "Rei, I'm going to miss her too. But, there's nothing we can do anymore. She's gone now, and all we can do is live our lives as best we can without her. You know she'd want us to protect her prince for her, and the first step to doing that is finding him."

"I just miss her so much." Rei murmured, tears filling her eyes. "Sure, we fought a lot in this life, but she was my best friend!"

Makoto impulsively wrapped her arms around Rei in a tight hug. For a few moments they just stood there, crying in the rain, releasing all of their tears of pain. Two of their friends had died that day, and they were coming close to losing a third. Too close. He had to be found, and the sooner the better. A short time later they stepped back and once again headed towards Mamoru's apartment, praying it wouldn't still be empty.

_Dimension GW_

Heero raced back into the apartment, startling its occupants from their places of rest. They swarmed around him as soon as they saw the unconscious princess he carried. Within seconds questions pelted at him from all sides.

"What happened to Renity?" Quatre asked. His eyes, like those of the others, were filled with a tremendous amount of worry. Panic had crept into his voice. They'd all finally gotten back together, what could possibly have happened?

"I told her the truth about my past in this life." Heero said. Duo's eyes went wide as saucers, which Heero would have noticed if he wasn't so focused on Serenity's well being. "Renity has gone to the Realm of Dreaming and blocked me out. Can you two get in?"

"Hey Heero-man, I always knew ya had some real dirt in that past of yours." Duo tried to lighten the mood as Quatre and Motoki both closed their eyes. "Musta been a real juicy secret. What was it, did ya fall in love with someone else?"

Heero didn't respond, and the eyes of the senshi and bodyguards went wide. Haruka started towards him, and did not stop when Michiru tried to pull her back. She had something to say to this "prince."

"How dare you hurt Moonface!" Haruka yelled, shaking him. "If she doesn't wake up, I swear I'll punish you on behalf of Uranus!"

"You weak man." Wufei said. "Where is your sense of honor? Could you not even wait to find your one true love? Kisama."

Trowa didn't say anything, nor did Hotaru. They merely glared at the Earth prince. Duo had fallen back onto the couch in shock. Whoever would have guessed that Heero had fallen for someone and then become cold? Although he knew there was something behind the mask, he'd had no idea it was this big. Duo's head whirled. Michiru, meanwhile, was attempting to restrain Haruka.

Suddenly, Motoki and Quatre's eyes snapped open. Heero looked pleadingly into their eyes, but the downcast expressions on their face confirmed what he thought. Serenity had blocked them out of the haven they had once shared.

_Realm of Dreaming / Astral Plane_

"Ami?" Serenity whispered, her voice cracking. "Minako?"

"Princess!" Minako screamed. "It is you! But… where are we? Are you ok? We thought you were dead!"

Both girls rushed forward and embraced their princess, hugging as though they would never let go. It took a long moment before anything would connect in Serenity's mind, and in the silence the two senshi contented themselves with staring at their seemingly alive friend.

"Usagi…" Ami said, shaking her gently. "Are you all right? You look like you're going into shock."

"I'm fine, Ami." Serenity replied, suddenly returning from her thoughts. "But, how do you know who I am? I thought I took those memories with me when I left your dimension!"

"So you used the crystal, but somehow survived by shifting dimension?" Ami asked, and gave a relieved smile when Usagi nodded her head. "Oh, I'm so happy you're alive!"

"That makes two of us! But, why would you try to take our memories if you knew you would survive?" Minako asked. It didn't make sense.

"Well…" Serenity trailed off. "I didn't think I would survive, and I didn't want to hurt you all by leaving you alone. However, I had to pass some sort of test to gain my full powers, and that could only happen through the events that occurred yesterday and because of…"

The sentence hung unfinished in the air, and Serenity could not bring herself to complete it. Her beloved friends gave her looks of encouragement, and Serenity took a deep breath.

"Heero. I was brought back in part because of my Heero."

"Your hero? Mamoru, right?" Minako guessed. Serenity once again tried to control her thoughts. Endymion's magic obviously still held over them, making them believe he was her soul mate. How had the senshi gotten into this realm? Her mother had said not even Mars…

"Oh Duh!" Serenity exclaimed suddenly. "I'm such an idiot. You two were able to come to this realm because you're my brothers' soul mates! Does this mean you remember them now?"

"Motoki!" Minako suddenly called out. "Is he still alive? I mean, you weren't supposed to survive that blast and neither was he, but if you're back then could he be?"

"Yes, he is!" Serenity smiled and hugged her dear friend. "I'm sure he'd love to see you. You must have gotten your memories back when I wished for my friends to have their memories back. My crystal is way to literal in granting my wishes. Quatre wants to see you again too, Ami." Serenity paused significantly and winked, causing Ami to blush a brilliant scarlet. They all laughed for a moment.

"I'd love to take you to them and the other. I'm sure Haruka, Michiru, and Hotaru would love to see you again. Your loves aren't the only people who've missed you." Serenity's voice started cheerful but soon became sad as she sighed, "Heero…"

The two crowded around their princess to try and get more information from her when a bright light suddenly filled the room.

_The Realm of Nightmares_

"Your majesty," a voice interrupted the ruler's musings and the "majesty" was very surprised to find her most loyal servant bowing low before her. "Serenity has left the dimension of her rebirth, and returned to the Gundam dimension. We are lucky in that my magic still holds over the senshi, in spite of the return of their memories of the Silver Millennium."

"Very well then." A sigh could be heard. "I see we must go to our emergency plan. Get in touch with our contact and pass along this information. Make certain the urgency of this mission is conveyed as it should, and that all pretenses should be upheld until I or you say otherwise."

"Yes, your majesty." The servant said, disappearing quickly through a dimensional portal to deliver an important message. The ruler sat slowly back in the throne of the onyx colored room. Everything was falling into place now. Soon, the ruler thought, you will be mine little princess.

Evil laughter echoed through the realm.

_Dimension SM_

The long walk down the corridor between the elevator and the apartment was much more ominous than usual. Tension hung in the air as Makoto raised her hand to knock on the door. After pausing to look at Rei, she tapped it twice quickly.

No one answered.

"Should we go in?" Makoto asked?

"Yes, the spare key is up in the door frame." Rei told her. Her face was growing anxious. She was picking up negative vibes from this place. Something was terribly wrong. "Can you reach it?"

"Sure." Makoto swiftly reached up and retrieved the key. She turned it slowly in the lock. The door opened easily, and both girls adopted shocked expressions at the sight that greeted them.


	9. Truths Revealed (8)

**Chapter 8**

_Dimension SM_

Makoto swiftly reached up and retrieved the key. She turned it slowly in the lock. The door opened easily, and both girls adopted shocked expressions at the sight that greeted them.

"Mamoru!" Rei yelled, running over to the couch and shaking him. "Mamoru, please, wake up!"

Makoto watched in desperation as Rei attempted to wake the prince. He had to still be alive, he simply had to. None of them would survive the loss of another important member of their 'family' that day. She sighed in visible relief as Mamoru's eyes sprang open.

"Rei? What are you doing here?" He asked in a confused tone of voice. Makoto and Rei exchanged glances. Their prince may be alive, but something was still very wrong here. Mamoru looked surprisingly calm for a man who had lost his fiancé that same day. Suddenly, Rei realized the only reason he could possibly be so relaxed, and thanked heaven that this was the only affect Usagi's death had on him before he was found - Mamoru was deliberately blocking it out. After glancing once more at Makoto, Rei spoke gently to her prince.

"Mamoru, why don't you come with us to the temple. We'll talk about it there." Rei said simply.

"Yes, let's go to the temple." Makoto added. It would be a good idea to have Mamoru with all the senshi when they broke the news. It was a better idea still to bring him to a place of a lower height, where he couldn't fall for as long if he should decide to jump.

"I don't understand, but whatever you say." Mamoru said tranquilly. In the deep recesses of his mind, he reached out to the one he loved. A message was sent easily through the telepathic link her magic had created for them. 'I'm with the senshi now love. I'll be with you as soon as I can.'

_Dimension GW_

Suddenly, Motoki and Quatre's eyes snapped open. Heero looked pleadingly into their eyes, but the downcast expressions on their face confirmed what he thought. Serenity had blocked them out of the haven they had once shared.

"What did you tell her, Heero?" Quatre asked him immediately. "You know you were always one of my best friends, and I won't let you keep it a secret any longer. What did you do that upset her so much?"

"I told her about Diana." Heero said. Silence resounded in the room.

"And this Diana is the reason you became so cold?" Trowa inquired.

"Heero, I have to say it. You're an idiot, giving up Serenity so easily." Duo informed him in that ironic tone that only Duo could ever truly use, shaking his head.

"Duo," Quatre spoke calmly to his long time friend and sister's bodyguard, "Heero didn't remember her. Besides, I'm sure he has a very good explanation for doing what he did to my sister."

There was a gleam in Quatre's eyes similar to the look he got while piloting Wing Zero. It said quite clearly that if there wasn't a good reason, Heero was beyond dead for hurting his sister. Motoki's face was impassive, willingly to listen, but his eyes were furious and he would most certainly be willing to help kick Heero's ass in the event that there wasn't a decent excuse. The rest all listened patiently, the senshi still glaring at the former prince of Earth.

"She and her friends died saving my life." Heero said tersely. If it had been anyone else asking, and any one other than these, his friends, were in the room, there was no way he would have answered. Even still, he would go no further into what had happened to him. Perhaps someday, the time would be right to tell them. Just now, though, he had to worry about Serenity. His love was in trouble, and it was all his fault. Why, he thought, why did I ever fall in love with Diana?

_Astral Plane_

The two crowded around their princess to try and get more information from her when a bright light suddenly filled the room. Serenity didn't really care anymore about bright lights, they were rather common in this realm, especially with all the dead people and Crystal work that went on. Minako and Ami covered their eyes with their hands until the light faded. When it did, there stood Queen Serenity.

"Mother!" Serenity exclaimed, running quickly to the queen and embracing her. The old queen smiled down at her daughter. It was only here, where everything became as her daughter willed, that she could embrace her child.

"Daughter." Queen Serenity said softly, returning the hug gently. She smiled upon her little princess, the babe she once held in her arms.  
Now it was time to set everything right.

"Queen Serenity." The senshi stated and curtsied gracefully, their princess dresses floating majestically around them. The queen nodded and they stood quickly, courtesies finished. Now it was time to get down to business. Why were they here?

"Venus, Mercury, I know you're curious as to how you came to be here, but if you stretch your minds back to the Silver Millennium, you will recall this place and your adventures here. I have come here to talk to Serenity." In a flash of silver she turned back to her daughter as the other two occupants of the room searched and recovered that which they had overlooked earlier. This place belonged to Serenity, and she alone could open it to herself and others. But to do that, she needed to accept her full powers as she did in the past, which meant…

Mother and daughter laughed as the guardians recalled it all. Their expressions were priceless. Then Queen Serenity's expression  
turned serious.

"Serenity, I came to tell you the truth of what happened with Heero."

"Mother…" Serenity could not bring herself to finish the sentence. It hurt too much to think about him. The senshi just looked confused, but neither lunarian was paying much attention to them at that point.

"Darling, I know what you think, but you're wrong. He would never betray you, in this life or the last. He still hasn't. The prince will always be faithful to his princess." The elder Serenity firmly stated.

"But Diana…" The protest died on her lips. Her expression was stunned, shock written all over her face. How could he tell her that he had loved someone else and yet still be ever faithful to her?

"Child, haven't you figured it out yet?" Queen Serenity asked curiously. She held her daughter tightly, and sat her down on the silver couch that happened to be there. It was most likely brought out by the Astral Princess's need to sit down.

"Figured out what? Mother, Heero gave his heart to another woman! You can not maintain that he is ever faithful when he admitted to me that he loved another." All of the pain that had been festering inside Serenity spilled out, tears again filling her beautiful blue eyes. Usually so clear, they had been clouded by all the tears she had cried.

"Usagi, Heero never loved another woman. He has always loved you." Queen Serenity paused, and tried to find the best way to tell Serenity the story. The senshi seated themselves on the other couch, opposite the two. The tale promised to be very interesting, and Ami was sure it held all sorts of wonderful details and history.

"When the Crystal sent you and those you loved forward into time, it did not make a mistake. All of you were sent to same place in the same time, the future of our dimension, where your twin, love, and bodyguards continued to reside. Metallia rose again in this dimension, with the help of her most faithful servants, and you and the others were forced into battle." The queen paused for a moment to breathe, then continued.

"The fight was long and hard, and the unawakened guardians could not help. You, as well as the inner senshi, Motoki, and Heero battled her and sealed her away again. Still she was not defeated, merely sent to a different dimension. No one save Heero survived the battle, but when you made your last wish on the Crystal you asked to be taken to the dimension where Metallia had gone, that you might defeat her permanently. Your last words were a vow to return one day to the man you had loved and lost not once but twice, sealing away his memories of the Silver Millennium as you passed."

"Serenity, Heero could never cheat on you with Diana for one simple reason. You are Diana. He was merely loving the same person he'd loved for millennia, reborn to live with him. Please do not fault him for loving you too much."

"Then its my fault he lived his life alone, and so sad and removed…" the young Serenity whispered, her eyes still filled with tears. This time, though, they were not the sea of pain. Rather, her eyes rained joy and love for her Heero. She looked up at her mother and smiled.

"I'm sorry Mother, but there's someone I have to go talk to." With a last hug and a quick kiss for her mother, Princess Serenity unlocked the gate to the Gundam dimension and vanished into it. The spirit sighed as it again became a mere specter, speaking once more to the senshi before she vanished back to whence she'd come.

"You know, Mars and Jupiter are probably wondering where you are right now. It might be a good idea to visit them. I promise, Serenity won't be back for at least a few hours." She smiled, and with a flash of light disappeared. The awe filled senshi looked at each other before quickly returning to the dimension where they belonged.

_Dimension GW_

"Heero…" Serenity sighed. Her eyes opened, and the first thing she noticed was that she was no longer in the park where she'd fallen asleep. Darling, she thought, you really didn't have to carry me all the way back here. I hope Haruka and the others didn't hurt him.

"Princess, you came back to us!" Hotaru said happily. The others immediately swarmed around her. It was quite obvious that they were trying to keep her as far away from Heero as possible. She glanced at him and smiled, tears in her eyes.

"Don't worry Renity, we're not going to let him get away with what he did to you." Haruka informed her, glaring icily at the man she once counted a friend.

"In the name of love most sacred, he will feel Neptune's wrath." Michiru agreed. Haruka nodded her head in agreement. Serenity laughed softly, and pushed past them to the man she loved.

"Heero, I'm so sorry. Mother just explained everything to me. Can you ever forgive me?" She asked him, hope gleaming in her eyes as she telepathically showed him what her mother had told him. Heero said nothing, merely pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her. Serenity responded by leaning up to meet him, and for the first time in this lifetime, their lips met in a sweet kiss.

"Did anyone else just miss something?" Duo asked. "I expected at least a little violence, someone knocking some sense into Heero. Where'd all this touchy feely crap come from. I mean, it is Heero and Serenity. She's usually not this forgiving. I seem to remember a couple of Sword of Artemis threats directed at me, and I certainly didn't betray her love-"

"Maxwell, shut up." Wufei interrupted. Haruka and Michiru were caught in each other's eyes, confused but not unpleased by the sight before them. Hotaru and Trowa were engaged in a similar activity. Quatre and Motoki were both staring off into space, dreaming about their own one true loves. Duo shook his head. Only he and Wufei were left without anyone to share this moment.

"Get a room, please." Duo said. Then he turned and stared long and deeply into Wufei's eyes. The Chinese boy gave him a strange, quizzical look before turning away with a shake of his head.

"Injustice. They get the ones they love and I'm stuck with Maxwell. Injustice." He muttered.

Serenity and Heero didn't even notice, too wrapped up in the joy of being together again. Everything was perfect for that one sweet moment.

Naturally, it was at this precise moment that a portal opened behind them and a mysterious person stepped through.


	10. Behind What Was Seen (9)

**Chapter 9**

_Dimension GW_

Naturally, it was at this precise moment that a portal opened behind them and a mysterious person stepped through. Magenta eyes glittered against pale skin, and the woman's green black hair trailed casually from a high bun into a ponytail and down her back. She smiled softly as Serenity walked over and gave her a hug.

"Setsuna-chan!" Serenity said, her lips turned up in a broad grin. It had been ever so long since the last time she saw her "other mother", the senshi of Pluto. The time guardian wrapped her arms around the young princess before stepping back and bowing low.

"Your majesty." Pluto proclaimed quietly. Serenity giggled and motioned for her to rise. It seemed no length of time would ever break the dearly loved senshi from her old habits. The others were quick to crowd around their dear friend, and welcome her as their princess had.

_Realm of Nightmares_

"Have you anything new to report?" The queen, her long, curly red hair standing out in the stark blackness, inquired. Her large, onyx throne easily supported her slight weight, and a purple dress clung to her body. Even if it was a child in front of her, failure to gain more information would not be tolerated. It was vital at this stage of the plan that nothing went wrong.

"Another of the sailor senshi has entered the GW dimension." The girl answered quietly. She was sure her queen would be enraged, and the news only got worse. "Whatever problems Serenity and Heero experienced have passed, for she is awake and forgives him whatever happened."

"Damn! How could you allow this to happen?" The queen thundered. Her eyes glared daggers at the girl.

"Your majesty," She replied quietly, for she would never dare use the woman's name, "you instructed me not to reveal myself yet. The only way to prevent this would have been to become involved in it, and shown them who I am."

"Very well. But do not make such a mistake again. Has his highness returned yet?" The queen asked, fire still dancing in her eyes. How dare that little brat forgive Heero? It would have made her life so much easier if they remained separate.

"No, but he should return within a matter of hours." The queen nodded her head royally and looked away, clearly dismissing the girl, who took the hint and disappeared.

_Dimension SM_

Minako and Ami's eyes snapped open in their respective rooms at Rei's temple. Serenity was all right! Heavens be praised, she was alive and happy! But… she wasn't in love with her prince? Why had she rushed out of the room? Wasn't her hero here? And if he was, why hadn't she brought them back with her? Why had they gone through two separate doors to return to their dimensions? It made no sense, nor did the conversation the two moon maidens had had. Both rose and hurried into the main room of the temple.

"Mamoru, do you remember what happened yesterday?" Rei was seated across the table from the prince, and Makoto was next to him. Her voice floated gently out the door to where Minako and Ami stood. There was only a moment's hesitation before they pushed open the door, relief evident in their eyes that he was still all right. Whatever he had done to Usagi, she had forgiven him and was on her way back. Wasn't she?

"Minako, Ami, how are you?" Mamoru said pleasantly as they entered. They quickly exchanged glances between themselves and the other senshi. It seemed as though he knew that Usagi was still alive, but that was impossible unless she'd already been to see him. Which, although they admitted it was possible, seemed unlikely because she'd only left them a few moments ago and Rei still looked very worried. Their thoughts were confirmed when he chuckled and said, "What's the matter with all of you? From the way you're acting, I'd almost think someone had died."

All of the senshi appeared shocked by his reaction. Rei and Makoto appeared saddened and confused, but Ami and Minako merely seemed surprised.

"So Usagi has been to see you too?" Minako asked. She smiled tranquilly at the senshi of Jupiter and Mars as they glared at her. "Don't worry, Usagi is all right. She used the crystal to save herself and came to visit us in our dreams last night. So did her highness Queen Serenity. The queen asked us to give you something, too."

"Minako!" Ami exclaimed. "I know precisely what you're talking about, but the queen and the princess have yet to give us that command. Maybe we should wait."

"Awww, c'mon, don't be such a worry pimple." Minako responded, not at all noticing the fact that she'd botched yet another quote. "In the Silver Millennium Serenity made us promise that if they ever forgot, we would remind the others so long as she wasn't dead."

"Well, I supposed we could." Ami replied. She rose and walked towards Rei, and Minako duplicated the gesture with a move towards Makoto. Both of them stretched their arms over the others heads, and were preparing to return the memories of the senshi when a sharp, black shape came flying at them.

"Luna!" All of the inner senshi exclaimed. "Why did you do that?"

"Usagi is dead!" She wailed. "You would only be torturing them to show them how she was back in those wonderful days."

Artemis stepped forward and rubbed against her, purring softly. The senshi were so engrossed in sorting out all of the problems, all the surprise, and shock, and the continued concealment of the Realm of Dreaming, that no one noticed a figure slip away from the group and disappear in wisps of smoke.

_Realm of Nightmares_

Soft swirls of smoke filled the area before the thrones, and a man's shape formed. He walked slowly up to the throne, and sat down upon it quietly. Then the man turned and looked at his wife.

"The senshi know she's alive." He said simply. The queen turned and glared at her kind before exploding in a rage.

"How could you have let this happen?" She shrieked. "I swear, Serenity is undoing all of the favors she just did for me. Everything she had offered has been taken away. I thought her above doing it twice!"

"Love, you place to much faith in her so-called generous nature. As I've often told you, she is not to be trusted. All those of the Moon Star Kingdom are evil, and intend only to help themselves. Look you, the princess was told that I would be her best match, and bring peace to all of the solar system with her. Instead, she goes and declares her love for that traitorous brother of mine."

"But darling, don't you love me at all?" the queen asked. "Or am I just to use my powers as the senshi of Earth to destroy one of my best friends from my childhood because you are jealous?"

"Beryl." His voice was low and dangerous. The queen backed off a little bit, and stared into his eyes. Gods, why did they have to be such a magnetic shade of blue? "If I had married Serenity, it would have been for duty, for peace. Now the only way to obtain that peace is to destroy her. Do you want peace or not?"

"Of course I do, my love." Beryl said. She leaned in and kissed him. He responded to her light touch, and the kiss deepened and sweetened. She drew back slowly and whispered, "Oh, I love you so much, Endymion."

"As I love you." He said, an evil smile tinting his face.

_Dimension GW_

"So, Usagi, care to explain how you and Heero came to be best buddies again? I mean, after what he did, I wasn't sure we'd ever see you again." Duo questioned after they had all welcomed Setsuna. Heero glared, but Serenity laughed.

"Duo-kun, Heero did nothing wrong. I merely misunderstood something." Serenity smiled.

"Misunderstood something?" Duo looked confused. "Hell, Renity, it was pretty straightforward. Heero fell in love with someone else and you 'merely misunderstood something'?"

Wufei smacked Duo round the head, and the others turned with curiosity to their Princess, except, naturally, for Setsuna. Heero pulled out his gun, and aimed casually at Duo.

"Say that again and I will kill you." Haruka transformed and pulled out a huge sword, which she pointed at Heero. Michiru likewise transformed, but grabbed hold of Haruka, trying to calm her down. Hotaru and Trowa merely stared at their companions. Quatre looked adorably confused, and stood up as though he was going to tell them all to calm down, but Motoki put a hand over his mouth.

"Heero, if you shoot the Princess's bodyguard that gives me more than reason enough to kill you!" Haruka shouted, trying her best to pull away from Michiru, but her lover was equal in strength and kept a firm hold of her. Serenity started laughing, and suddenly everyone froze to look at her.

"Haruka, do not harm Heero. He didn't do anything wrong. Heero merely did what was natural. He loved me in all my forms." The others in the room, including Heero but again, excluding Setsuna, looked extremely puzzled. Serenity giggled again, then continued. "I could never be mad at Heero for loving Diana for one simple reason - I was Diana."

Completely stunned silence held for a long time in the room.

"Injustice!" Wufei declared. "Why didn't we get to meet you then?"

"Wait a second, I'm confused." Quatre still looked a little lost. "If you were Diana, then why were you and the other senshi living in the other dimension, not to mention Motoki. Plus, Heero told us Diana died."

"I did." Serenity said. At their shocked expressions, she once again laughed. Honestly, when everything she was involved in seemed extraordinary, you'd think they would have learned not to be so shocked by a little thing like her death and rebirth. "Motoki was reborn after an accident robbed him of his life here, the inner senshi died in a battle against an evil here, the same battle that took my life when I jumped in front of Heero to save him. By the power of the crystal, we were reborn again. Come on, its not like this is the first time it happened."

"Well all right then. I guess everything worked out just fine." Duo said, an ironic hint in his voice. When everyone stared at him, he shrugged and continued, laughter in his voice, "Seriously, I'm happy you two are back together again. How could I have fun pulling pranks on everyone, especially Heero, without you to help?"

Heero returned his gun to its standard aim. Haruka leveled her sword at Duo, and no one moved to stop either of them. The two then announced, "Try anything and I'll kill you."

The rest of the room, even Trowa, burst out laughing as Duo dodged behind Serenity.

"Save me, Renity!" He looked at her serious expression, and decided to plead for his life. "Please, don't let them kill me! I mean, I am death, so I won't really die, but that sword and gun look like they could hurt a lot."

"Well, I don't know…" Serenity said. She laughed aloud at Duo's pitiful expression. "I'm only kidding Duo. Although sometimes, I seriously wonder why I keep you around when instead of you protecting me its constantly me protecting you."

"You highness," Setsuna began seriously, and everyone turned to see what comedic line she intended to add to the farce. To their surprise, she looked deadly serious. "We have a problem."

"Yea," Wufei said, "Maxwell is still alive even after every dishonorable thing he's done. It's such a tremendous injustice!"

"No, I mean serious trouble." The senshi of time took a deep breath and looked at their cheerful faces. Gods, she didn't want to ruin all of their fun, but desperate times called for desperate measures, and the fate of the universe lay in the hands of her princess. "Princess, Beryl is back and Endymion has rejoined her."

_On the other side of town…_

Sally Po and Lucrenzia Noin were strolling quietly through a park while on a break from their Preventor's mission. Suddenly, screams erupted from the other side of the park. Naturally, they pulled out their guns and ran. They were shocked to discover what was waiting for them.

To the left of the path of they were on stood a huge, ugly monster. It was a tremendous, half-snake half-rabbit demon. Its body was that of a snake, save the fluffy cottontail where a rattler should have been and the large, rabbit face and distinctive ears. The youma's expression was positively rabid, and it was attacking the people as they fled away. Working only on base instinct, Noin and Sally started to fire at it.

"That won't work." A familiar voice called out to them as the monster turned and moved towards the two. Hidden in the shadows, the voice spoke again. "Oh look, you made it mad. Guess you'll just have to die now. Pity."

Both women shrieked as the youma wrapped its tail around them, binding them tightly.


	11. The Worst Enemies are the Familiar Ones ...

"What is built endures and what is loved endures." Delenn, "Babylon 5"

**Chapter 10**

_Dimension GW_

"I mean serious trouble." The senshi of time took a deep breath and looked at their cheerful faces. Gods, she didn't want to ruin all of their fun, but desperate times called for desperate measures, and the fate of the universe lay in the hands of her princess. "Princess, Beryl is back and Endymion has rejoined her."

"WHAT!" Thunderous shrieks quickly filled the room as everyone stopped whatever they were doing to stare at Pluto. Serenity sank into a nearby chair, a shocked expression on her face.

"I had hoped…" she whispered, but couldn't manage to say the rest of whatever it was she wanted to. Tears filled her beautiful blue eyes, and her shoulders shook. Heero quickly sat down next to her and wrapped his arms around her. In response, Serenity turned and buried her face in his chest. A shell-shocked silence permeated the room. No one knew quite what to say to comfort the obviously distressed princess.

"Why?" She sobbed. "Why does Endymion have to be so power hungry? Couldn't he have just been happy with Beryl and Earth? Why did he have to take my best friend and warp her mind so? Why?"

Heero said nothing, merely held her tighter. One of his hands gently undid her meatballs and then he ran it through her long, silky hair, trying to relax her. She rewarded his efforts with a watery smile.

"Princess, I'm afraid it gets worse." Setsuna said quietly. All of the pilots turned to stare at her.

"You mean there's more?" Quatre marveled aloud. He looked at Serenity, trying to concentrate his support of her into something tangible for her. She glanced back knowingly and reopened the old telepathic link that had been created between them at the time of their conception. 'I'll be fine.'

"Setsuna, how much more of this is there?" Motoki asked. His features were extremely worried.

"Not much more. The problem is simply this." Setsuna took a deep breath. She seemed almost - afraid. It was quite unnerving for them to see her frightened of something. "The Gates of Time have almost closed and have refused to allow me to see more than a few moments into the future. However, I have seen one last thing. Beryl has sent her most capable and powerful servant to gather energy by attacking a nearby park."

"Why must they always drag innocents into these battles? It is a great injustice that they commit, and they only show their lack of honor!" Wufei declared. For once, no one remarked upon his seemingly compulsive remarks about honor. Everyone aside from Serenity and Heero rose and headed for the door.

"Koneko-chan, I'm sorry about this." Haruka said. Then she pushed everyone else out the door and left quickly. Within moments, an old spell had been cast upon the room.

During the Silver Millennium, there were many defenses established to protect the princess from harm. The most efficient of these was a rather simple spell, although it was near impossible to break. The spell involved the combining of the powers of any four senshi to form a protective barrier around a room that allowed no one to either enter or exit until four senshi took down the barrier or the threat was gone. Thus, the princess would remain unharmed, regardless of what happened. She would be unable to run out to their rescue, regardless of how much she wanted to.

Serenity wrapped her arms around Heero and prayed for the safety of her friends, tears streaming down her face. When she no longer had any tears left with in her, Serenity dropped into a healing sleep. Heero merely sat there, running a hand through her hair until the room suddenly lit up with yet another of those infamous flashes of bright light.

_Dimension SM_

After all had been said and done, Luna accepted that her princess was still alive and could still be saved. She had calmed down greatly once it had all been explained, and the whole story exposed.

"So what do we do now?" Makoto asked when there was a lull in the conversation. The Hikaware Shrine was now filled with brilliant moonlight, as the moon returned from its brief hiatus.

"Now we all get some rest and wait for Serenity to make the next move." Ami said. "She trusted us to wait, and so I really think we ought to do as she requested, however indirect the request was."

"Ami, we can't do that!" Rei exclaimed. "These youma are ridiculously strong! There's no way we'll survive another of their attacks without Usagi's help. Is there any way that we could teleport to wherever she is?"

"Well…" The genius hesitated.

"Ami, as much as it tears me apart to do this to Usagi, Rei's right." Minako said. "Without her, we'll be up a creek without a boat the next time a youma attacks."

Ami nodded her head in acquiescence. "We need to make a circle like we usually do for a teleport. Then, we must focus all of our energies on the princess. When you can feel her essence, lock in on it and call your planet's powers. When everyone has called for their planet, we must all say together, 'Take us to the one who we live to protect and would gladly die for but who more than anyone has taught us to live. Take us to the Princess Serenity!' We'll be there in moments."

"I'm not sure you girls should try this." Artemis said as the senshi transformed and made a circle. "The last attempt you four made landed you on Earth, in the middle of a pond miles from the castle, where Usagi was staying."

"Artemis, it's the only way, and we can't just sit here and do nothing while the world is destroyed." Luna told him calmly. He bowed his head, and then stepped into the center of the circle the senshi had formed, Luna joining him,

Makoto sent her mind out searching for the friendly girl she loved to bake cookies for. The girl who had wept over the loss of her darling prince more than once, as he constantly broke her heart. The brave girl who showed no fear even when a reputation had prevented anyone else from approaching her all of that first day at Juuban. Her mind locked and she called out.

"Jupiter Planet Power!"

Ami searched for the kind girl who even when everyone else called her a nerd showed no pity and refused to allow her to pity herself. The vibrant, happy friend who had pulled her out of books and into life. The twin of her dear Quatre who would do anything for a friend. Her voice filled the air.

"Mercury Planet Power!"

Minako reached out a hand to the one who was always there to pick her up when she was down, her vibrant spirit piercing through the shadows of the Venusian's previous experiences. The girl who had giggled with her over how adorable Motoki was, and who had never once failed to back her up. The lovely young woman who trusted her to lead her protectors, and although she allowed them to protect her had always protected them in return. Her voice swiftly joined the others.

"Venus Planet Power!"

Mars sought the free spirit that had a fire to rival her own, always up for a lively argument about anything at all. She searched for the princess who it was her duty to protect, and who she cared about no matter how annoying she was. Mars looked for the one who had taught her that love could conquer anything, and that friendship was one of the strongest kinds of love. She looked for her best friend, the one who had pierced the veil around her heart, leading her to all the happiness of the worlds. Mars found her, and called aloud.

"Mars Planet Power!"

"Take us to the one who we live to protect and would gladly die for but who more than anyone has taught us to live. Take us to the Princess Serenity!" They all yelled together.

The rainbow beam that was the senshi flashed away from the shrine.

_The GW Park_

"That won't work." A familiar voice called out to them as the monster turned and moved towards the two. Hidden in the shadows, the voice spoke again. "Oh look, you made it mad. Guess you'll just have to die now. Pity."

Both Sally and Noin shrieked as the youma wrapped its tail around them, binding them tightly.

"Neptune Deep Submerge!" The two dropped to the ground, unconscious. Their energy had been almost completely siphoned away, leaving them feeling very exhausted.

"Well, well, well, I was wondering if you'd show up or not." The Gundam boys all gasped, staring in the direction the voice had come from. An all too easily recognized woman stepped into their view. "Too bad really. If you had stayed away, you might have actually lived to see the new era that will be ushered in when the King and Queen take over this dimension."

"Relena!" They all gasped.

She yawned, looking almost bored. "Tell you what, I have to take the large amount of energy I got from those two back to the other realm. I'll make you a deal. If you defeat the youma before I get back, you can live for now.

Without another word, Relena disappeared into the shadows. Slowly, the Gundam boys picked up their mouths as Hotaru shot a Silence Glaive Surprise at the youma and killed him.

"This is such a tremendous injustice!" Wufei exclaimed. "I actually thought that onna was worthy of my respect. She had an intelligence that and devotion to peace that gave me faith in her. I disgrace myself by blindly trusting such a dishonorable, weak woman."

"Say Wu-man, what's up with your obsession with those words? I do not think they mean what you think they mean." Duo said in a thinly veiled attempt to lighten the atmosphere. He was rewarded by several weak chuckles.

"We should probably get back to the apartment before something happens to Serenity." Michiru remarked.

"No." Quatre said firmly. "She'll be fine with the protection around her that you guys set up earlier. Right now we need to make sure everyone here will be all right."

"He's right." Motoki agreed.

"Why not?" said Trowa. "Heero will protect her."

It is both shocking and appalling to consider the negative results that such generous and kind actions wrought upon these noble people and the ones they loved.

_The GW Apartment_

The light slowly faded from their eyes, and there stood four familiar senshi. They all smiled warmly at those before them, and ran to hug their princess.

"Usagi, you're all right!" They collectively shrieked. Their voices were only barely distinguishable from one another, and although each person said something different, no one knew who said what after it was all said. "How are you? You were crying, what happened? Who's the guy? He looks like my old- Makoto, don't even think about saying it! We're all together again, just like greenbeans in a pod! Oh, I'm so glad you're ok!"

"Guys!" Serenity finally yelled above the din. "How did you get here?"

"An old teleportation trick." Luna said, a smile on her face and tears in her eyes. "They focused on your essence and directed their planets to bring them to you. I'm so glad it actually worked this time!"

"I'll say!" Serenity giggled and turned to Heero. "Do you remember the last time, when I was visiting you and they came looking for me? They were all soggy when they finally got to the palace."

"Wait!" Rei said. "How would he know about that? You were visiting Endymion when that happened."

"His power holds even in this dimension?" Serenity exclaimed. Heero merely looked down, a scowl on his face. "Well, no matter, I can easily fix it this time, ne Heero?"

He grunted an affirmative response, and she laughed, whispering in his ear, "When this is all over, you owe me a real smile."

"When this is all over, you'll get more than that." Heero said, and he gave her ear a butterfly kiss. Serenity blushed, then turned her attention back to the shocked senshi. She immediately pulled out her crystal and transformed back to her princess stage.

"Serenity, there's no need to use the Crystal now! Everything is fine, and it will only hurt you… or us." Ami whispered softly.

"Do you really want us to forget badly enough that you would risk your life for it?" Makoto asked, hurt filling her voice.

"Guys, relax. I promise everything will be fine." Serenity raised the Crystal and declared, "Crystal, break Endymion's spell. Show them the one I truly love, and all of the things that really happened in the past, instead of the lies Endymion showed them."

The light flared, and when it faded, the senshi and cats had all fallen to the floor, knocked out by the power of the memories. Both Heero and Serenity were stunned when another voice invaded the room.

"My oh my, what have we here?" The sarcastic tones filled the room, and Heero looked up at the woman with a growl.

"Relena."

_Realm of Nightmares_

"If all goes according to plan, Serenity and Heero will fall to us within a day." Endymion declared as he tasted Beryl's neck, nibbling it delicately. She was seated comfortably on his lap, and sighed, leaning back against him. If the plan worked, she would not have to be involved at all in her once-friend's destruction.

"I'm glad." Beryl responded. "Very very glad."


	12. Hidden Evil Comes to Light (11)

**Chapter 11**

_Dimension GW_

"My oh my, what have we here?" The sarcastic tones filled the room, and Heero looked up at the woman with a growl.

"Relena." She grinned maliciously as he glared at her. Heero pulled Serenity closer before speaking again. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Oh, not much." She said, surveying the senshi who were lying on the ground, completely unconscious. "You could say I'm on a mission. It's not all that unlike what you used to do - I'm sure you remember. Way back when you were a soldier, not a snicker lover."

"You will leave Heero alone." Serenity said, standing up. Her body shook, although whether it was from rage or exhaustion, no one could tell. A ferocious glare, stronger even then Heero's, appeared on her face and Relena took a step backwards. Heero rose and wrapped his arms around her, continuing to glare at Relena. "I don't know who you are, or how you got here, but neither Heero nor I need this today. Your 'mission' has just been canceled."

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry, but you can't do that." Relena had a wicked smile on her face. For a split second, Heero almost thought that the thorn in his side pacifist had become an evil killing machine. Then he remembered - this was Relena. "You see, I'm here to take Heero away from you. You see, I've been promised him, and I don't really feel like giving him up."

"So sorry Miss… Relena, you called her Heero? But this is his decision and in case you can't tell, he didn't decide on you." The corners of Heero's lips turned up, and he reached out to take his goddess's hand. A soft grunt seemed to confirm that what Serenity had said was true. After all, this was only Relena being a jealous monster - again. The senshi had put a barrier around the room to protect them, and no one had taken it down yet.

"Is that so?" Relena suddenly tossed a knife at the two, and Heero shoved Serenity out of the way before dodging. It missed by a mile. Her face flickered with distaste as she saw concern flash across Heero's face. "I guess I can thank you for one thing, your highness. My Heero's finally showing some emotion."

"I'm not yours." Heero said simply.

"Oh you're not, are you?" Relena asked. "Come on Heero, why don't you tell us all how you really feel about me? If you really hated me, you would have killed me long ago. I think it was just one of those little boy in the playground things, where you weren't sure how to react to your emotions, so you threatened to kill me."

"You've always said you wanted me to show more emotion, right?" Heero said, his monotone firmly in place. Relena nodded, and Heero continued. "Well then, how's this? You're a bitch. Now leave us alone."

"I love it when you talk like that." Serenity said as she joined Heero once again. Relena stared, her jaw on the floor. "You might want to pick that up. I'm sorry Relena, but he has told you he doesn't wish to be with you. Please honor his request and leave us alone."

"No, I don't think that's going to happen." Relena said. "Dark Powers, come and help me serve my Queen and King. Transform me now to overtake the one who would keep me from happiness and love."

A dark mist filled the room, and when it cleared Relena was floating in midair. Her clothing had changed from the ugly school uniform she wore under ordinary circumstances, and was now more than a little revealing. A skintight gray leotard covered her upper body, the neck cutting down low enough to show off her chest. A black hip length skirt similar to that of the senshi slightly covered her legs, and her feet were in a pair of black high heels. Heero was quite positive it was the most risqué outfit he'd ever seen her in, and he arched a brow.

"You work for them, don't you?" Serenity asked, a cold detachment entering her eyes. Heero looked at her almost quizzically. Relena nodded in acknowledgment of her statement, indicating its truth. Serenity laughed mirthlessly. "Well then, I guess it's time for us to do battle. Amaranthine Moon Power!"

In the traditional flash of bright lights, Serenity disappeared and was replaced by … Sailor Serenity! Unlike the majority of the senshi, her body suit was of the palest shade of pink imaginable rather than white. Her skirt was a soft shade of lavender, and her shoes matched them. The shoes themselves appeared to be ballet slippers, but the soles were slightly thicker and allowed a better grip on the surface. In the middle of her chest rested a silver broach with an intricate green leaves and crimson roses design. She had bows of flowing silver, and the back bow fell beyond her knees. Serenity's gloves appeared the same shade as her skirt and shoes, and did not have the weird cuffs that the other senshi's gloves had. Her hair had also adopted a brilliant shade of shimmering silver, and it was braided and then weaved around her head to form a crown. In place of a tiara, the royal moon sigil shown forth in silver upon her head. The hilt of a sword was visible over her right shoulder, disappearing into a subspace pocket, and in her right hand she carried the long, gleaming staff of Cosmos. The tranquil expression on her face held a prediction of danger for her opponent.

"Renity?" Heero asked. If it had been in his nature to show shock, you can be certain that he would have been. She turned and smiled at him briefly before focusing her attentions on Relena.

"You may have changed your outfit, princess, but that doesn't make you any stronger. Heero is going to be mine. You will never defeat the powers Metallia has bestowed upon me!" Relena gave an evil laugh, then dodged to the side as the Staff of Cosmos came flying at her.

"I'm afraid you are mistaken." Serenity told her calmly, a slightly sad look crossing her face. She raised the staff above her head and brought it down again. Relena rolled to her right and flipped back onto her feet. Amaranthine twirled her staff to avoid losing her balance from the thrust. "Though you have been corrupted, I only wish to heal you. However, since you can't seem to accept that, we will fight until you lose."

"I will never surrender!" Relena proclaimed. She raised her hands above her head and quickly gathered a ball of dark energy. It hurtled through the air towards Serenity as she screamed, "Cimmerian Blast!"

Serenity sidestepped, twirling her staff faster to break the blast before it hit her. As the attack and staff collided a strange eruption spread light on one side of the room and pitched blackness to the other. The inner senshi were revived as the positive power of the light hit them, but Heero was caught on the dark side. He stood tall and proud for as long as he could, but eventually succumbed to unconsciousness. Relena gave a nefarious grin.

"You see?" She said. "Even your champion, your one true love, has given in to the darkness. There is nothing you can do. This world and all others will soon belong to the Dark Kingdom!"

"We won't let you have it!" The senshi yelled together. They collectively turned to stare at the new senshi. Although her pastel and silver colored uniform made her appear less threatening then the woman in black, she still did not appear trustworthy. After all, the body suit appeared to be the same color as watered down blood. But no… her eyes held a glint that they had all seen somewhere before.

"Serenity!" Mercury screamed as she figured it out. The familiar blue eyes held steel, and she nodded her head once. Venus immediately ran in front of her, attempting to shield her.

"Hah! Pathetic, princess! Would you really see your precious defenders be injured protecting you?" Relena taunted. Knowing that the other senshi could not take it; she launched a blast of dark energy at Mars, Mercury, and Jupiter.

The three dodged, but each sustained injuries. Mars's ankle had a cloud of black around it, and she could no longer feel it. Mercury's hand had been caught by the blast, and it too had gone numb in a cloud of black. Jupiter had taken the blast on her back and fell to the ground, paralyzed.

"NO!" Serenity screamed. Without thinking, she ran to defend her protectors, throwing Venus behind her. She turned and quickly told them all, "You must not interfere! I have gained my full power and can take care of myself in this form. I know it is unfamiliar to you, but the moon has declared my destiny as its protector."

She gave them a teary smile. "I must protect humanity, justice, and love with my love by my side. I am the Amaranthine Senshi, the one who must defend us all forever and who cannot die except to be reborn again. If the choice had been mine, I would have remained a simple girl, but destiny doesn't always agree with what we want. This is my battle! Let me fight it."

The senshi nodded their heads sadly, or at least, as much as their injuries would allow.

"Relena." She said, venom entering her voice. "I don't know how you got through the barrier my guardians cast, but I will not let you continue to harm those I love. Fate has made you my enemy, and now you will fight me, and only me. Only one of us can walk away from this fight."

"You wouldn't kill me." Relena scoffed. "You are too much of an idealist, you believe too much in the innate goodness of everyone. I have been evil since before I was born, and nothing you can say or do will ever change that. You will die here, and whether you are born again or not, still will the Dark Kingdom win!"

"I believe you have me confused with someone else. Perhaps the self you were before you began to follow the Dark Kingdom's rule? I do idealize peace, but even I can see the necessity of war." Serenity smirked at her. "I thrive on battle, and if destroying you is the only way to save time-space, what makes you so sure I won't do it?"

"Serenity, no!" The inner senshi screamed as their princess, without giving the girl a chance to respond attacked. Their cries made no difference, for Serenity had already whipped the sword out of her subspace pocket and thrown it at Relena. In a startling display of speed, Relena caught it in between her hands mere inches away its destination of her heart. She dropped the sword, small cuts letting her blood flow from her hands to the floor.

"You really think a trick like that will hurt me?" She sneered. "It takes far more than a simple throw of a blade to defeat me."

"That's not what happened with your queen the last time." Serenity remarked. She chuckled softly. "Actually, all it took was a sharp rose from your "king". But that is of no matter. Have you ever heard of the Sword of Artemis?"

"No, should I have?" Relena asked, sarcasm lacing her voice. "Is there some monstrous secret you've been hiding, aside from Sailor Serenity? When last I checked, all the moon royalty could do was heal people with some bauble, a crystal I think."

"You underestimate me." Serenity replied. "That, my dear, is the Sword of Artemis, and by no means an ordinary sword. The sword has been dipped in a potion for dreamless sleep created by the Astral Princess. Only when she, or the Moon Goddess Artemis, wishes to reverse it will the recipient awaken from their seeming death."

"What?" Relena's face had gone blank with shock. She swayed ever so slightly on her feet.

"I believe you heard me the first time." Serenity told her. "You should just now be starting to feel its effects. There is not even enough time for you to return to your own realm and warn those who rule over you of what you have seen."

Her eyes looked sorrowful for a moment as she watched her opponent, really no more than a mere girl like herself, slip down to the floor. "I hope next time we meet, you will have been healed of your hatred."

"I hope… next time we… meet…," Relena said, her eyelids drooping, "we are… we are… rotting in hell. But before I… I go… I have one last… one last task to fulfill…"

"What is it?" Serenity asked superiorly. "You can do nothing to me now."

"Who's… underestimating… who?" Relena replied. She raised one hand, keeping the other hidden from view. "Powers… of Darkness, return me… and my beloved… to where we… belong!"

"NO!" Serenity screamed, realizing moments too late what was about to happen. She rushed toward the darkened side of the room as the wisps of smoke settled, only to discover her worst fears had been realized.

Heero had been kidnapped.

_Realm of Nightmares_

Relena and Heero appeared in front of the throne and dropped onto the floor. Both were completely unconscious. Horror stricken, the queen rose from her throne and ran down to where they lay. The king followed calmly.

"Endymion!" Beryl shrieked in despair. "Endymion, she's… she's… she's dead!"

"Do not worry, love." Endymion held her. "She has served her purpose by bringing my brother here, and we can avenge her death by destroying Serenity."

"Don't you even care?" Beryl exclaimed, pushing him away. "Don't you even care at all? She was -"

"Beryl, my darling, please don't say it." Endymion said. "Don't think about it anymore. You'll only upset yourself further."

The queen of the Dark Kingdom broke down into tears, and the king took her in his arms. Swiftly, the king kicked his younger brother in the stomach, then gestured for the guards to take him to the dungeons and tie him up.

Endymion quietly led his "love" to their private room, the familiar evil smirk never leaving its place. All of the pieces of the puzzle were coming together, and soon nothing would be able to stop him from ruling the universe.


	13. A Love So Strong... (12)

**Chapter 12**

_The Dimension GW Park_

"Something's wrong." Michiru whispered quietly. "There is a disturbance in the seas. They rage and foam as though something has gone horribly wrong."

"Yes." Haruka agreed. "The winds seem lost and confused, unsure of which direction to go because the balance has been upset."

"Ummmm…" Duo scratched the back of his head. "What are you two talking about?"

"You don't think…?" Hotaru couldn't finish the sentence, and her voice trailed off. Something was undeniably wrong. Trowa came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. Quatre and Motoki, meanwhile, had let their heads suddenly snap up, as though hearing something in the distance. Their expressions became sober.

"I must go to the time gates." Setsuna said, transforming. "There is something which I must take care of. I have already intervened too much in this path of time, and if I continue to do so this reality will collapse and take all of you with it. Good luck."

"Her disappearing act only shows her lack of honor." Wufei said as Pluto disappeared into one of her infamous portals. "But I am glad she has accepted her responsibilities and learned not to muddle the time stream because she desires a different outcome from that which she is shown."

"Hey! What's wrong with him?" Duo exclaimed as Quatre fell to the ground. He looked up at them through pain filled eyes.

"Quatre, what's wrong?" Motoki asked. "Was that Serenity I just felt? The message was unclear, but something's wrong with them, isn't it? What happened?"

"Serenity… Heero… must… get back to them." He managed to say before he could not continue talking any longer. Quatre's eyes held panic and fear, but he could say nothing. Wordlessly, Motoki scooped him up.

"Let's go." He said, before turning and running back to the apartment. After checking to make sure the police would take care of the people injured during Relena's earlier attack, they followed.

_The Dimension GW Apartment_

Heero had been kidnapped. Serenity felt her world crumble around her. He was gone. Missing. Taken by the dark side. She could feel him missing her, feel his heartache for her, and knew without a doubt that Endymion had him. A sharp pain in her side brought her crashing to her knees. The corruption of her home was spreading through her veins. They were creating nightmares from the beautiful dreams of people. Knowing there was only one thing she could do, Serenity allowed her eyes to close and drifted off to the far away plane where they would battle.

"Serenity!" The inner senshi screamed. Venus raced towards her, Mercury not far behind her and Mars valiantly trying to get to her friend. Jupiter lay on the floor, her eyes wide. Mercury frantically tried to activate her visor as she called directions to the two able senshi.

"Get a cool cloth for her forehead! We have to do something!" She shouted. Silently, she made a deal with the gods. 'Let Usagi live, and we will always respect her wishes and do our best to help and protect her.'

"Rei? What are you doing here?" A startled voice filled the room, and they all turned to see the open door, the outer senshi, and their once loves. Wufei had been addressing his beautiful fire maiden, and strode across the room to make sure it was really her. When he was positive, he wrapped his arms around her and urgently repeated, "What happened?"

"Heero. Serenity. Oh gods!" Rei gasped out. Her mind was reeling, and her face was shocked. She buried her head in Wufei's shoulder and began to sob. "It's such an injustice against them. All they have ever wanted was to be normal and in love? Why did fate conspire against them in this way?"

"Wow, someone as obsessed with justice as Wu-man… Hey wait a minute! Rei?" Duo looked shocked. His eyes quickly canvassed the room, and grew wide when he saw his beloved lying prone on the floor. He quickly ran to her. "Makoto! Are you all right?"

Jupiter's eyes softened, and she attempted a smile at him, the black shadow freezing her body in place. She made frantic glances towards Serenity, and Duo immediately figured out what she wanted. He lifted his love into the air and carried her to Serenity. His eyes became gloomy as he saw his beloved charge, the lady who he was supposed to protect, lying on the floor.

Meanwhile, Motoki was already seated beside Minako, frantically trying to make his baby sister open her eyes. The sun prince and Venusian princess shared a glance, and hope sprang up in both their eyes. Joy penetrated the heavy veil of sorrow that was filling the room for a brief moment, and they shared a quick kiss and a smile before turning worried faces back to the inert princess.

Quatre lay on the floor right next to his twin, and he stretched out a hand to lend her his strength. He saw his love looking down on him, and smiled up at Ami. Her dark blue eyes shone with love for the two of them, and he was grateful for her strength and assistance. He did not doubt that they would be needed.

Hotaru and Trowa stood in the doorway and watched silently with Haruka and Michiru. The two couples had separated into pairs, each person wrapped in their lover's arms. No one was happy, all the faces were filled with despair. The world was in danger, and it was up to Serenity and Heero alone to save them all.

Suddenly, the twin's bodies began to jerk back and forth. Quatre's eyes filled with pain, and he seemed to be watching something the rest of them could not see.

"Isn't there anything we can do?" Michiru whispered. "Must we simply stand by and watch this happen again?"

"Everything must happen as fate planned." Hotaru said. Each person sensed it - this battle was not theirs. It was a war between the two couples, and only one pair could survive. Regardless of how greatly they desired to intervene, the fight was being waged on a plane they could not reach, a place destined to be remembered forever for this dark battle that would so scar it.

A brilliant light filled the room, and nothing could have prepared them for what was revealed when the light faded.

_The Realm of Nightmares_

Although Heero had been fully unconscious when he was brought in, it took him mere moments to awaken. Thankfully, he had still been unaware at the moment his brother's foot impacted against his side, and so he had not called out. The moment the two rulers of the realm had exited the room, Heero snapped back into action and knocked out the two guards who were holding him. Heero could sense Serenity calling him, and was stunned when he felt it - she had followed him into the realm.

"My foolish, brave princess." He whispered. Immediately, Heero felt the transformation called him. In a flash, the traditional tank top and shorts were gone, replaced by the ancient armor that was his battle gear. Unlike Endymion's dark, foreboding armor, his was of a pale gray, with white and silver touches to brighten it. He looked every bit the knight in shining armor of the old fables. Instantly he took off running, following the link of love that bound him to Serenity.

_Beryl & Endymion's Chambers_

A flash of brilliant light filled the room, and as it faded the Astral Princess reentered her realm. On her face was a ferocious expression, but Endymion merely smirked. Beryl looked up, and glared at her former friend.

"Beryl." Serenity said, and her features softened. "Why did you have to join him? Would it not have been enough to simply rule over Earth with him? Couldn't you convince him?"

"Serenity, you are evil." Beryl said. "Everything Endymion told me about you and his brother is true. All either of you wishes is power and glory for yourselves."

"Beryl, you know me better than that!" Serenity pleaded. She didn't want to hurt her best friend from childhood. "Why can't you see that he is using you? Are you so blinded by your own delusions of love that you can't see what's happening right in front of your face?"

Heero entered the room, and stalked quickly over to Serenity's side. They shared a look, before Beryl spoke again.

"Serenity, you killed my daughter!" Beryl screamed, and the pain in her voice was raw. "Relena was the daughter every mother wishes for, obedient, respectful, and kind. You took away her life, the life of an innocent, and have shown your true colors in the doing! I lost not only a daughter but a best friend today. And now, you and he are going to pay for what you've done!"

Serenity and Heero had both fallen silent in shock. Relena was Beryl and Endymion's daughter? Obviously, her father had had a tremendous effect on her upbringing. They were so absorbed that neither saw the attack until it was almost too late. At the last second, Heero noticed it coming for them, and shoved Serenity to the side,.

"No!" He screamed. They both fell out of the way, but Heero came up limping badly, barely able to stand. Serenity was horrified, and stared at her long lost friend momentarily before glaring at Endymion.

"The time has come when all must be set right!" She declared. "Beryl, please, you must listen to me!"

"I won't!" Another bolt of black energy flew at Serenity, and she dodged to the right before moving slowly forward, one hand extended in front of her. Beryl continued to speak, "I can't forgive you for this! She was my first, my only child!"

"Beryl, you must listen to me! Endymion has been lying to you, and even now, he tells you false things." Serenity looked into her friend's eyes, and winced as the barrage of energy finally began to hit its mark. "Don't you trust me? I would never do such a thing!"

"You're lying!" The scream was so filled with pain, devastation and loss, that it would echo throughout time.

"Beryl!" Serenity yelled in desperation, still not attacking or defending herself. "Beryl, Relena isn't dead!"

"She - what?" the evil queen's voice held a kind of hope that had not been there in centuries. Was it really possible that her daughter still lived? Had her friend always been on her side, even when she had not realized it? She stopped attacking.

"Beryl, all you have to do to learn the truth is one thing." Serenity placed her hands in front of her chest, and the Imperium Silver Crystal appeared. She extended gracefully. "Touch the crystal. Tell it to heal you and your daughter. I won't give it any commands, all it will do is what you want. If you don't believe me, than take it and kill me. I'd rather die than lose you to him and his greed."

"You would do that for me? Even after all this?" Beryl said. She gingerly reached out and took the shining gem. "My daughter is really still alive?"

"Yes."

"Crystal, heal my daughter and myself, and show me the truth of all that has happened!" A white light exploded and Beryl dropped to the ground, near exhaustion. She smiled sadly. "The… purification… too much… evil…"

"Don't, Beryl. You're too weak to be talking right now." Serenity pleaded, tears in her eyes. She had gotten her best friend back, only to lose her again.

"Sorry Serenity." Beryl apologized, gasping for breath. "Take care of Relena for me… won't you? Bring her up… the way… she should be…"

"Always." Serenity said, rivers appearing on her cheeks. With a content sigh, the evil queen closed her eyes for the last time.

Meanwhile, Heero and Endymion were not exactly having a friendly reunion on the other side of the room. Both had drawn swords. Slowly, they paced around in a circle, Heero moving a fair cry slower than his older brother, but looking nonetheless ready and able to fight.

"My, my, brother, you're injured!" Endymion said, false sympathy oozing from his voice. "Perhaps you had best see a doctor about that leg of yours."

"I think you've got it wrong." Heero replied coolly. "I think you ought to have a doctor look at your head. They say pathological lying can be a major problem, as well as dreams of grandeur and self delusions."

"Why you - !" Whatever Endymion wanted to say never made it out of his mouth as the two began to fight fiercely. They parried, and lunged, each calling upon century old training.

"Hn." Heero grunted in pain as Endymion's sword glanced across his stomach. He returned the favor by using the flat edge of his sword to sweep Endymion off his feet. Endymion swiftly flipped back up, taking the tip of Heero's blade to his left arm. They fought the elegant dance of a sword fight, neither winning or losing.

Suddenly, Endymion lunged at Heero, and he was forced to take a step back. His weak leg could no longer support the fight, and Heero dropped to the ground, his sword falling just out of his reach. Endymion raised his sword and was about to strike a deadly blow when one word froze him.

"Don't." Serenity had transformed into the princess that she was, the crystal held high above her head. "Endymion, you have taken those dear from me more times than I care to think about. Your crimes are great, and I will no longer tolerate your deplorable presence. It's time to restore the balance again."

"RENITY!" Heero suddenly screamed. "DON'T! You're too weak right now! It will kill you!"

"I'm so sorry Heero." Serenity whispered. She smiled at him through her tears before giving a command. "Silver Crystal, I call upon your service. Destroy this evil, which has plagued our world for so long and return those I love to a place of safety. Rid the universe of this realm of nightmares, that it may never bother anyone again!"

There was a blaze of glorious light, and Endymion shrieked as it hit him and he disintegrated. The realm fell apart around his ashes, but no one was there to see it as the Crystal granted the wish of Tsukino Usagi, the former princess Serenity.

_GW Apartment_

When the light cleared, Heero had reappeared, as had the once evil Beryl and Relena. However, their hair and clothes had changed. Both Beryl and Relena now had long, chestnut brown hair, and dresses of green and blue respectively. They turned and embraced each other as never before.

Heero immediately looked for Serenity, and was in time to catch one more glimpse of her. Slowly, her body dissolved into beautiful silver and gold sparkles that danced merrily into the universe.

A cry of anguish such as the one he released then has never been heard before or since.


	14. ...In the End (E)

Author's Note: Massive amounts of love to my beta-reader, Cheryl. Yes, Zechs is in here, just for you!

**Epilogue**

The sun shone brightly down upon the small park that only a few days ago had seen terror. All around the park, smiling couples strolled and young children played. Only one area of the park remained untouched by the joy and beauty around them. It was a small garden where roses of every color grew. A small plaque was situated under a willow tree. Around it stood 14 somber people.

"I wish Heero could have been here." Quatre said softly. "I think it would have helped him let her go."

"He never will." Motoki remarked. "She was such a wonderful person, she found a way into his heart even after he closed it, not once but twice."

"He loved her." Minako said as she leaned back into Motoki's embrace. "And as foolish as it is, even though she's gone, he loves her still. He always will."

"We'll all always love her." Rei whispered. "She was the truest friend anyone could ever hope for."

"She loved me even after everything I did to her. Serenity was the most generous and kind person I ever met." Beryl paused to wipe the tears from her eyes. "She saved me and my daughter long after I thought we were both beyond salvation."

"She was the best." Duo said simply, holding tightly to Makoto.

"Yes, she was." They all looked up to see Setsuna entering from one of her infamous portals.

"Setsuna!" The senshi and warriors looked at her in surprise. She nodded her head in acknowledgment of the greeting. She swiftly stepped towards the plaque and placed a yellow rose upon it.

"Why didn't you warn us about this?" Haruka asked, a coldness in her voice. "Why didn't you tell us Koneko-chan was in danger?"

"No one may interfere with destiny." Setsuna replied mysteriously. She was about to continue when another portal opened behind her and a familiar looking young girl with pink hair came through it.

"Chibi Usa!" The inner senshi yelled. They ran and crowded around her. "You're all right!" "You're still here!" "How is it possible?" Does this mean that Usagi is still alive!" "What about Endymion!"

"I'm sure that someone here can explain all of this." Michiru interrupted firmly. Her aqua eyes focused pointedly on Setsuna. The time senshi bowed her head, and everyone stopped talking to listen.

"A long time ago, a very unique soul came into being. What made it unique was that it was a single soul divided between two bodies. Lovers and friends, they were of one soul, destined to be together beyond the end of time. They were to face many hardships, but each could only die to be reborn again. In some lifetimes, they never succeed in finding each other, but live happy lives nevertheless. In others, they will meet only briefly, and each will always be filled with a kind of longing for lack of the other. Each lives only for the other, but neither is fully cognizant of their role in the universe." Setsuna paused and looked at each of them. "They are destined to always be together, but fate has brought them another, greater destiny. Together they will lead the world to Serenity through the use of their greatest weapon - love."

The senshi stared at Setsuna blankly. Chibi Usa giggled.

"I think you lost them, mama!" She said. She ran over and gave Setsuna a hug.

There was silence for a few moments, and then…

"NO WAY!" "Oh, goddess, I don't believe it!" THUNK "Dear, pick up your jaw." "How did we not know about this either? Injustice!" "Who's the father?"

"Me." A further shocked and even more bewildered group of senshi and pilots turned slowly around. A man with white / bleached- blond hair in a gold tasseled red uniform coat was leaning back against a wall of pink and white roses. He looked up, opening his aquamarine eyes with a slight smile. "Welcome home, Chibi Usa."

There was shock, confusion, sadness, and yes even joy and laughter that day as the large group bid a last farewell to their dear friend Serenity. High above them, cradled in the arms of another nearby tree, a shadowy figure watched them.

Towards sunset, a strong gust of wind grabbed hold of some of the rose petals, making them dance in the air. Red met Prussian blue, and an unsteady hand plucked a single rose blossom from the air. He stared at it for a moment, then jumped gracefully from the tree.

Sadness in his eyes, Heero Yuy walked away. All the while, a single tear trailed silently down his cheek.

_**End Moving On**_


End file.
